Police hunt for househelp who killed mother and son

A sombre mood engulfed Shauri Yako Estate in Muhoroni, Kisumu County on Friday after a househelp stabbed a mother and her infant son to death.

The househelp, who is said to be a Ugandan national, is on the run, police said.

The suspect had lived with the family for only one month and did not present any identification card to her employer.

The lifeless body of Elizabeth Achieng’, 26, and her son Leone Okoth, who was three months old, were found in her house on Friday morning by a neighbour.

Ms Achieng' worked as a community health officer at Kadenge Health Centre in Muhoroni.

Her body had several knife wounds on the chest and burns on the left side of her body which her husband, Evans Otieno, said was inflicted by a hot iron box that was was found beside her dead body.

Mr Otieno, 28, who is a clinical officer at Nyangande Health Centre in the neighbouring Nyando sub-county said the househelp was recommended to them by a family friend.

He said he tried to reach his wife on phone on Thursday night, but his calls went unanswered.

"I called my sister-in-law but she said she was also trying to reach her," Mr Otieno said.

Mr Otieno said he received a call from his wife's neighbour on Friday morning informing him of the death.

"I rushed to Muhoroni and what I found shocked me," he said.

“My son’s body was on the bed with a nylon rope on the neck and my wife was lying on the ground naked with a rope on the neck, a knife on the chest and had several burns on her body,” Mr Otieno told Nation.

STUBBORN

Cynthia Dorcas Akoth, Ms Achieng's sister who was living with them but was away for a Church retreat on the fateful night described the househelp as stubborn. But Ms Achieng' stayed with her because she looked after the baby well, Ms Akoth said.

Ms Christine Achieng’, the neighbour who heard some commotion of Thursday night went to Ms Achieng's house in the morning and found the househelp outside the house. She informed her that Elizabeth had taken her son to the hospital.

Kisumu County Police Commander John Kamau said police are hunting for the suspect. they have launched investigations into the killings.

“We suspect the woman killed the baby first and when the employer came back, she attacked and killed her,” said Mr Kamau.

A three-year-old girl who was in the same house at the time of the attack was not harmed.