Police condemn woman’s assault at ex-husband’s burial in Nyamira
She was beaten after she refused to throw soil into the grave as part of the final rites in accordance with Gusii traditions
The National Police Service has condemned an incident in which a woman was assaulted by her former in-laws at the burial of her ex-husband in Kiambere area, Mwongorosi sub-location in Nyamira County on March 21.
In a statement, police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga described the incident as not only unfortunate but also deeply regrettable, as it is devoid of civility and basic human dignity.
Reacting to a video that went viral on social media attracting outrage from Kenyans, Nyaga said the woman has since been located and three suspects swiftly arrested and put in custody pending processing and arraignment.
The woman was assaulted after she refused to throw soil into the grave as part of the final rites in accordance with Gusii traditions.
He former in-laws then got furious with some accusing her of being responsible for her ex-husband’s death.
They then descended on her with her cries fall on deaf ears as she is repeatedly slapped across the face, each strike by a stick met with jeers from the crowd.
A man standing over her raises a stick and brings it down with force, beating her mercilessly as others pull at her hair.
The crowd jeered her as she was forced to follow the ritual by force even as some attempted to save her from more violence.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since identified those arrested as Robert Pokea Sarudi, 43, Bismark Ondiek Sarudi, 40, and Lameck Ogindo Osoro, 27.
It said the woman, who had been married to her late ex-husband for over nine years, was contacted by her mother-in-law and asked to bring her children to their father’s funeral following his tragic death in a road accident.
“The three suspects were trailed and arrested in Mwongorisi sub-location. They have since been taken to Kiambere Police Station, where they are undergoing processing before facing charges. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend additional suspects involved in this distressing incident,” added the DCI.
Meanwhile, detectives in Meru are hunting down for a man believed to have hacked his wife of many years to death after a domestic argument over a yet to be established issue.
According to the DCI, the 45-year-old woman’s body was found dumped under a culvert along Therone-Kiuma murram road, just hours after the couple was seen heading home from Therone market while engaging in a heated argument.
It is believed that the suspect, one Samuel Miriti, and who was at the time armed with a panga, turned against his wife in the cover of darkness, inflicting fatal cuts on her neck.
After committing the act, he went into hiding to evade justice.
“Locals woke up to a horrendous scene; the lifeless body of a mother, relative and friend that soaked in blood, depicting a painful separation with life in the cruel hands of the man she loved and married. The suspect, Samuel Miriti, is still in hiding, but no effort or resource will be spared until he is brought to justice,” it added.
