A farmer in Kitale has allegedly killed his farm worker after he reportedly stole his mobile phone.
Machungwa residents in Kiminini Sub County said Kamau Wangereka, a farmer with the help of a police reservist Fred Mustafa killed 18 year old Collins Wafula.
Residents told Hot News that after discovering his phone was missing, Wangereka reported the matter to the police reservist who went to Wafulas house which is 2 kilometers away and arrested him.
They said Wafula was frog marched to Wangereka’s house.
Wangereka’s neighbor Charles Otunga said the two roughed up Wafula and beat him until he was unconscious.
The neighbors said they rushed to help Wafula but he died before he was taken to hospital.
When Wafula died, a mob descended on Wangerekas house –burned his house, maize store, killed several cows and sheep by cutting them with pangas and crude weapons.
They said Wafula was an orphan and that his father also worked for Wangereka adding that he too died mysteriously in the hands of Wangereka.
“No legal action was taken because Wafula’s dad was too poor,” they said.
They said Wafula stayed with his grandmother but he worked at Wangereka’s farm after doing his KCPE last year.
“He was to join form one but due to poverty, he opted to do casual jobs at Wangereka’s farm” said Otunga.
Kiminini constituency coordinator Jackson Mukanda said there were reports that Wangereka and the police reservist castrated the deceased before hitting him with crude objects.
“It is painful that the boy had to endure all that. Thorough investigations should be done to ensure justice is done “said Mukanda.
Wafula’s guardian Dismas Wekesa said he was called by Kamau asking him about the phone and he informed him that he had confisticated it from the boy.
Dismas said he was to hand over the phone to Wangereka after doing repairs since Wafula had dropped it and it had been damaged.
He said he was shocked when he was called by neighbors who told him Wafula had been injured.
“I arrived and together with neighbors tried to take the boy to hospital but he died before we left, “he said.
Police in Kitale confirmed the incident and said Wangereka and Mustafa are being held at Kitale police station.
They said they will be arraigned in court.
The body of the deceased was taken to Kitale District hospital mortuary.