Police officers in Magarini Sub County, Kilifi County, are investigating an incident in which a 25-year-old man allegedly murdered his 80-year-old father before being subjected to a similar fate by irate members of the public Monday morning.
Ismail Karisa Mwaiha is said to have been irked by his father’s refusal to grant him permission to harvest mangoes at the home and engaged the old man in a quarrel before descending upon him with a machete, slashing him several times and dismembering his body.
Other family members raised an alarm, attracting a huge crowd of neighbours who pursued the young man, caught up with him and attacked him with crude weapons and killed him, accusing him of being a troublemaker.
Witnesses said Ismail has been harassing and threatening his father and that he had even served two-jail terms over the offence.
Kilifi County Police Commander Fatuma Hadi, who confirmed the incident, said police officers had launched investigations to unravel the actual cause of the two murders, warning that anybody who would be found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Ms Hadi condemned the two incidents terming them sinful, barbaric and backward acts, and urged family members to sort out any differences using laid down dispute resolution channels instead of taking laws into their hands.
She also urged children and community members to take care of older persons and ensure they remained safe instead of picking quarrels with them for whatever reason.
“It is the responsibility of children and the community to care for the older citizens and ensure that they remain safe and well looked after because they are vulnerable,” she said adding, “If there is any disagreement, the solution is not to kill the elderly but to sort it out using proper channels.”
The bodies of the two kinsmen have been taken to the Malindi Sub County Hospital where autopsies were expected to be conducted on them.
