A fight between the wives of two brothers and the intervention of the younger man has left the women widowed.
Joseph Othoro, 37, and Kennedy Otieno, 36, hacked each other on Monday and died from their injuries at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral and Ahero hospital respectively.
It started on Sunday when Otieno found his wife fighting her sister-in-law at home in Wangaya village, Muhoroni subcounty. He caned both of them.
Othoro was furious when he heard that his wife had been caned by his younger brother. It is against Luo custom to discipline someone regarded as senior to you in the family hierarchy. His wife was Otieno’s senior even if she was younger.
Assistant chief Teresa Omino said Othoro could not understand where Otieno got the guts to cane his wife.
“Othoro was not around so when he came back and was told what had transpired, he went straight to their homestead where the brother is still staying with the mum and caused chaos but later went back to his home within the same village,” she said.
Omino said the tension between the brothers simmered, forcing her to summon the two to appear before her on Wednesday.
The administrator said on Monday Othoro went and attacked his mother and sister-in-law, forcing them to flee the village. Otieno was away.
When he came back at around 9pm, Otieno went to inquire about what had happened and a fight ensured.
Omino said Othoro slashed his brother on the head using a panga and his brother retaliated.
“They were both bleeding and on rushing them to the hospital, Otieno died at Ahero hospital while Othoro at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital”.
The bodies are lying in respective hospital mortuaries.
