A Kericho man suspected of killing his wife and poisoning his child before attempting to commit suicide has been admitted to hospital under police guard.
A police investigation report indicates the man allegedly used a motorcycle brake clutch to strangle his wife Sharon Chepkirui, 22, on Friday night at their house in Londiani, Kipkelion East constituency
The clutch had sticks tied to both ends, according to the police report, while the neck of the victim had strangulation marks. An examination of the scene of the crime, a rental house, showed signs of a physical struggle.
Police also said they found what is believed to be poison that is suspected to have been given to the couple’s child — a girl aged one year and seven months.
The child was rushed to Londiani Sub-County hospital and was treated and discharged. Police said she was in a stable condition.
The body of the deceased was moved to Londiani Sub County Hospital mortuary ahead of a planned postmortem.
The suspect – 30-year-old Shadrack Malel Sigei – later attempted to commit suicide by taking poison some 300 metres away from the scene of the crime.
He is reported to have called a police officer six hours after committing the alleged crime, informing him that he was “beneath a flyover and he had poisoned himself with a pesticide as he was trying to commit suicide,” according to the investigation report.
“On search, a note was recovered with his mobile phone from the pocket of his clothes, which were confiscated as part of the evidence in the case,” the police report reads.
The suspect was rushed to Londiani sub-county hospital where he is undergoing treatment while under police guard.
