Bomet: Man hacks his two children to death, attempts suicide after wife left him

A 28-year-old father has confessed to killing his two children before later attempting suicide by consuming poison on Thursday evening in Ng'ainet area, Bomet County.

According to Bomet Central Sub-County police boss Musa Omar, the suspect, Hillary Kibet Rono, reportedly hacked to death his old sons, aged 2 and 3, using a tea-pruning knife, in what is suspected to be a revenge-driven motive after his wife left the homestead last Sunday following a bitter quarrel.

The two minors are said to have succumbed to deep injuries inflicted on their bodies later.

After committing the heinous act, the suspect reportedly consumed Acaricide dose of poison and went to confess to his parents living adjacent to his house that he had killed his children and was also going to die.

“It is a murder incident where a father murdered the two children using a panga which he uses to prune tea. After the offence, he went to his father and confessed to him what he had done and so the father, with the assistance of the neighbours around, could not allow him to go and they arrested him,” explained Omar.

“When they went there, he told them he had already taken a dose of poison after killing the children.”

His father then alerted neighbours who responded and the suspect was pinned down by members of the public and handed over to the local administration before police arrived.

Police visited the scene and removed the two bodies and also found an empty poison container allegedly used by the suspect.

He was given first aid at a local health centre and referred to the Longisa County Referral Hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Sources told police that the suspect’s wife left the homestead two weeks ago fearing that her husband was planning to kill her over unending marital disputes. She left behind the two children under their father’s care.

“It is a very bad incident that happened in the absence of a mother who had differed with her husband two weeks ago and left the husband with the children alone. Before, he had always pronounced that he would murder his wife and children,” the police boss added.