4 children are fighting for their lives at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital after their dad poisoned them before stabbing them in their bellies.
The suspect, is said to have disagreed with a move by his wife to report him to the children’s authorities for failing to provide for them.
When he got information that he was to appear before a children’s officer over the issue, he thought of a plan to wipe them out with poison before stabbing them.
The family lives at Nyagoro trading centre in East Kochia location in Rangwe. The couple were blessed with four children; male twins aged three years and two girls aged five and nine.
The family has been struggling to survive the harsh economic times after the man lost his job. The woman said her husband was working at a milling plant in Kisumu but was recently laid off.
The wife is yet to be employed thus the family was depending on the support from the man who lost his job and in no position to provide for the family.
The man therefore thought of wiping them off and later commit suicide. According to the woman, the deceased was suffering from diabetes and he was having difficulties purchasing insulin.
It is reported that the deceased has been having frequent domestic squabbles with his wife which the woman said was due to frustrations that the man had.
She said they would fight and sometimes the man would threaten that he would stab her. Some of the issues they argued about was the lack of food.
The death threats were first reported to an assistant chief who advised the woman to seek help from other relevant offices.
East Kochia location acting Chief Kenneth Odero said the woman was referred to the children’s office where the matter could have been handled in a better way.
Mr Odero said the woman was given a letter summoning her husband to appear before a mediator.
On her way back home, she went to Omoya chief’s camp to drop the letter before she proceeded home.
At home, the woman was surprised when she found her door locked from the inside.
Mr Odero said the woman reported that she forcefully got into the house where she found her four children and husband lying on the floor with blood.
Residents rushed to the scene after the woman raised an alarm.
Some boda boda riders who were within Nyagoro trading centre also rushed to the home.
They offered their motorcycles to be used to take the children to the hospital.
Mr Odero said the children were first taken to a private hospital at Nyangweso trading centre before they were referred to the county teaching and referral hospital due to the extent of their injuries.
Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital Chief Executive Officer Peter Ogolla reported that two children are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with the other two admitted to the children’s general wards.
They had undergone surgery to repair their abdomen which had stab wounds.
“They had perforations in their internal organs, especially the intestines. We were able to repair them and we hope they will stabilise soon,” Dr Ogolla said.
One of the minors is suspected to have consumed the most poison. Doctors are working hard to stabilise him.
Mr Odero advised couples to find peaceful ways of solving disputes.
The body of the deceased was taken to Homa Bay County referral hospital mortuary for postmortem.
