Locals Kill a Man, Wrap His Body in a Polythene Before Burying Him in Kisii

BY ERIC ABUGA

The body of a 30-year-old man, identified as Enock Obwya Ongori, was buried on Monday morning in a shallow grave in Inani village, Bobasi, Kisii. 

Enock was killed by irate villagers on Saturday evening, shortly after he had fatally attacked his father, James Ongori, who was 83 years old. 

Police had initially taken Enock's body to the Nyamache Level Four Hospital morgue, but locals demanded its release for burial. 

On Monday morning, a group of villagers and some relatives gathered at the morgue and used a motorcycle to transport the body back home. The burial ceremony took just one hour and was held at the family’s banana plantation.

Before facing mob justice, Enock had previously been accused of killing his brother in March in Kajiado. It remains unclear how he was released by the courts after admitting to that crime.

On the day of his burial, Enock was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing regarding his brother.

Reports indicate that he killed his father during a minor disagreement, using a blunt object. Esther Ongori, the mother of the deceased, recounted her experience when she returned home and saw her son leaving the compound in tears. 

“He left me seated by the roadside. My daughter-in-law ran towards me, saying my son had attacked my husband. When I got home, I found my husband lying motionless on the ground,” Esther explained. 

She stated that Enock had openly defied anyone who tried to take his father to the hospital. “I spent the night at my son’s house, and in the morning, we noticed my husband had died with his body lying along the walking path.” 

Esther also mentioned that Enock had been involved in various crimes within the family. She, at 75 years old, had been hospitalized due to injuries inflicted by her late son. 
“I was confused and didn’t know what to do. The government should have intervened long ago. Let him rest. I have cruelly lost a husband,” she lamented. 

Jane Kemunto, a cousin of Enock, expressed that the community has suffered enough. “We thank the community for taking action. It doesn’t pay to get involved in crime. Unfortunately, he had to kill his father, his brother, and injure his aging mother.”