John Asango Khatera, a man from Kakamega, has been arrested for allegedly beating son to death over Sh 500 loss.
According to Kakamega Central police chief David Kabena, police are conducting investigations to establish how the class eight pupil at Mahiakalo primary school died when he was with his father in their house.
According to local media reports, the boy’s step mother Naomi Inyanje said her husband became enraged when he found the Sh500 missing from his bedroom and summoned the boy who was suspected to have stolen the money.
“He had sent me to take the money from the bedroom to go and buy breakfast for the people who were working in the farm. When I told him that the money was missing, he became furious and summoned the boy. I left them in the house and went to the shop to buy breakfast on credit,” said Ms Inyanje said at her home in Lianungo village, Bukhungu sub-location in Kakamega Municipality.
Ms Inyanje said she found the husband beating the boy and she intervened pleading with the man to forgive him.
“I went into the house and found the boy lying unconscious. My husband accepted that he slapped the son who staggered and knocked his head on the wall,” she said.
The boy was rushed to Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital by the father but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Ms Inyanje said her husband came back and informed the family about the death of their son and went to report to the police.
“He was so confused because he thought it was normal discipline he was administering to the boy but things turned nasty,” she said.
Some shocked family members have called for a postmortem to establish the cause of the boy’s death, claiming he was slapped by his father and his head hit on the wall before he fell down unconscious.
The boy’s aunt Nancy Imbayi asked police to move with speed to establish what killed the teenager before the family starts organising for his burial.
“We want to know whether he was suffering from any illness or he was killed by his father because they were only two in the house at the time of his death,” said Ms Imbayi.
Last month, an 11-year-old boy from Kamulu, Machakos committed suicide after he hanged himself to avoid punishment from his father.
Confirming the incident on phone, area Assistant Chief Mary Willy said that was so it unfortunate that children are resolving to suicide rather than opening up and expressing their problems.
But how will kids open up to monster parents?