Frequent family troubles and domestic fights are at the centre of the murder of a man who was shot 12 times by his policewoman wife in Eldoret on Saturday night.
Lilly Biwott, 33, an officer based at Central police station in Eldoret, shot her husband Victor Kipchumba 12 times in their rented house in the Kimumu area along the Eldoret-Iten Road before she escaped.
Both neighbours and family members claimed the couple had often had quarrels about infidelity with suspicion of a love triangle.
Kipchumba’s family members said their 36-year-old son and his wife had severally threatened to kill each other due to frequent domestic squabbles.
A report made to police and recorded at the OB, shows Biwott told police that she had quarrelled with her husband earlier in the day at about 5.30pm before going to work.
Later at about midnight she decided to go back to check on her children at the rented house where her husband turned on her with a knife and wanted to stab her, only for her to shoot him to death in self defence.
Moiben sub-county police commander Stephen Okal said the officer claimed that her husband wanted to kill her with the knife and that is why she opened fire using the rifle she had been issued with.
“The rifle and knife are among items recovered from the scene and the mater is now under investigations,” Okal said.
Biwott surrendered to officers at her Central police station base where she was locked up pending arraignment on Monday.
Officers who went to the scene said they found the deceased lying on his bed facing downwards on a pool of blood with several bullet wounds.
An Ak 47 rifle s/no KE Ap 59010335 with 11 cartridges and 3 bullet heads were recovered at the scene.
Alex Kibet who is a friend and also a neighbour to the deceased said they had been out drinking together before returning to their estate at about 10pm Saturday.
Kibet went to his house while the deceased went to his place. Later he heard a commotion and went out where he found police officers.
Kibet said a year ago, the deceased told him he had a problem in their house and wanted to move out and look for another house.
“I did not follow up and he did not move out” the friend said.
An uncle to the deceased Isaac Sorgor said as a family, they had severally tried to sort out frequent violent disputes between the two.
“We succeeded to reconcile them severally but on many occasions she told me that she would kill her husband,” Sorgor said.
“On three occasions she told me that she would kill him” he added.
Another uncle Phillip Chesire regretted the incident saying they had tried in vain to reconcile the two who quarrelled over many issues.
Vincent Shaba who is a caretaker at the house where the couple lived said they had been accusing each other of many issues including infidelity in marriage.
“At some point mid this year, the woman complained at Ainabtich police station over threats by her husband to kill her,” Shaba said.
He said the two had quarrelled over an alleged love affair between the man and their house help. ” They always accused each other over love matters and other issues. I was among those called to their house severally to help sort out issues,” Shaba said.
Shaba said the man had also claimed that his wife had extra marital affairs. He said his landlord had even advised the two to separate if they were unable to live together.
The couple had been married for over 10 years and had three children. They had lived at the rental house where the incident occurred for about four years.
After the incident, the suspect called her relatives and informed them to pick the children who were in the house asleep at the time of the incident.
When journalists visited the house, a house help to the couple who was present during the incident had also been taken away by relatives of the suspect.
