Man, 32, hangs himself near in-laws homestead

A 32-year-old man travelled from Nairobi to Homa Bay County to die by suicide near his father-in-law’s homestead.

Erick Omondi took away his life at Magare Village in Homa Bay Sub-county on Saturday. Locals said he reportedly killed himself because of a domestic squabble with his wife.

According to his father-in-law Peter Aluoch, Omondi reportedly asked the villagers to help him locate his father-in-law’s homestead. But instead of entering the compound, he walked away, saying he was to receive his brothers.

A few minutes later, Omondi’s sister-in-law left home to buy airtime only to find Omondi’s body dangling on a rope tied to a tree near their home.

Aluoch said they notified the police and the area assistant chief who took the body to Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue.

Aluoch explained that Omondi and his wife had had protracted wrangles. The latest wrangles occurred on January 1. “My daughter told me she decided to quit the marriage because they had differed. She brought her two children to me before relocating,” Aluoch said.

He said his efforts to reconcile the couple had proven futile. “I used to talk to him, but one time, I realised he had blocked my phone number. That ended the communication between us,” Alouch said.

The senior citizen said he had also reached out to Omondi’s parents over the matter. “I called his parents, but they were unaware of the wrangles,” he added.

Residents condemned the incident, saying it was a sign of bad omen. Dan Odhiambo, a resident, expressed worry that the incident may culminate in to a natural calamity in the village. “A son-in-law is a highly respected guest in his father-in-law’s home. What this young man has done is a worry to us. We have never witnessed a similar incident in this area,” Odhiambo said.