Matioli Area in Butali Sub-location, Kakamega County, is reeling in shock after a four-month-old baby was brutally killed in a ritual gone wrong.
The tragedy struck this morning, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., when the baby’s mother brought her child to the home of a young man’s family for a traditional ceremony of shaving the infant’s hair. The child’s father was away in Nairobi on work duties, but the family had agreed that the customary rite should still be performed.
When the mother arrived, she did not find the young man’s parents at home. Instead, she was received by their son, Amondo Mola, estimated to be between 18 and 20 years old. Dressed in a black T-shirt, Amondo reportedly welcomed her kindly and offered to take the baby in his arms.
Amondo Mola
What happened next has left the entire village numb with grief. According to witnesses, Amondo quietly slipped to the back of the house with the infant. Moments later, he picked up a machete and, in an act too horrifying to comprehend, slit the baby’s throat.
The baby died instantly.
The young mother, who had trusted the family with her child, was left in shock and disbelief. Villagers who rushed to the scene could hardly contain their emotions as word of the killing spread across Butali Chegulo Ward.
Police officers were called immediately and arrested Amondo. He is now in custody as investigations begin into what drove him to such a heinous act.
For the grieving family, the day that was supposed to mark a cultural blessing has turned into a nightmare of loss. For the community, it is a wound that will not heal quickly.
