Night of horror: Man hacked to death, wife's tongue chopped off

On Saturday evening in Ikoli village, Malava Constituency, Kakamega County, Jacob Chapia, a 75-year-old polygamous man with four wives and 35 children, chose to spend the night with his second wife.

Unbeknown to him, it would be his final night on earth. He was brutally killed by a gang, allegedly hired by his relatives over a land dispute.

Chapia was struck on the head with an axe by the gang at around 4 am. His body was discovered in bed, lying in a pool of blood, with deep cuts on the head and arms. His limbs had been severed.

Perhaps to disguise their true motives, the assailants ransacked his house, turning it upside down, with documents scattered — creating the appearance of a robbery.

His wife, Marystella Ayeshe, 62, was also attacked, her tongue brutally cut off. She is currently fighting for her life at Kakamega County General Hospital.

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According to the deceased’s daughter, Rose Ititi, her father’s murder is linked to ongoing land disputes.

“How did they know my father was in his second house? As a family, we have been having issues over the ancestral land, and he was the one holding the documents.

‘‘It is clear they were sent to retrieve them,” said Ititi.

She alleged that after killing her father, the gang searched the house for the documents. “My father was the custodian of important land documents, and some family members had been trying to get them from him, claiming he was denying them their share of the land,” said Ititi.

She added that her mother sustained severe injuries and narrowly survived the attack.

“My mother was left for dead. They attacked her with a crude weapon and chopped off her tongue, assuming she was dead. She is now fighting for her life,” said Ititi.

“As a family, we demand justice. The culprits must be arrested and held accountable. If it was about the documents, they could have just taken them and spared my father’s life,” she pleaded.

Local residents, led by James Andaje, strongly condemned the attack and urged authorities to investigate the murder.

“We condemn this heinous act. No one should lose their life over land. There is something suspicious here—how did the assailants know the deceased was in his second home?” questioned Andaje.

He added, “This appears to have been orchestrated by close family members.

‘‘We suspect the intention was not just to steal land documents but to eliminate him entirely.”

Ikoli Chief Moses Namutali urged residents to remain calm as the police conduct their investigation.

Brought to justice

“Security officers have begun investigations, and I appeal to the community to stay peaceful and allow due process so that those responsible can be brought to justice,” said Namutali.

Malava OCPD Maureen Lidava confirmed the incident, stating that detectives had been dispatched to the scene to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.

“The incident indeed took place. Unfortunately, the deceased’s wife, who could provide crucial information, is in critical condition and unable to speak. Nonetheless, we have sent investigators to establish the cause of death,” said Lidava.

She added, “We have also deployed police officers in collaboration with the area chief to ensure security for the family and the entire village.”