A tragic incident in Turkana County has left the community in shock after a 35-year-old woman allegedly killed her two young sons before ending her own life. The children, aged four and two, were reportedly strangled and buried in a shallow grave near their home.
The woman, identified locally as Hellen Akai, was alone with the children at the time of the incident. Authorities say she dug a shallow grave late at night, placed her sons inside, and later hanged herself in her house using a rope tied to the roof truss.
Neighbors raised the alarm after noticing unusual silence in the household. The children had not been seen playing as usual, and Akai had not been visible throughout the day. Concerned neighbors alerted the authorities, who promptly arrived at the scene. Police exhumed the children’s bodies and moved them, together with the mother’s remains, to the mortuary for postmortem examinations.
Investigators are yet to establish a clear motive behind the horrific act. Residents reported that Akai had not shown any visible signs of distress or mental instability prior to the tragedy.
Authorities say family-related murder-suicide cases are increasingly reported across the country. A similar incident recently occurred in Narok County, where a father allegedly poisoned his two daughters before taking his own life. Police statistics suggest that up to five such cases are reported daily, with men being the majority of perpetrators.
Experts point to multiple factors contributing to such cases, including unemployment, grief, financial difficulties, academic challenges, substance abuse, and mental health disorders like depression or bipolar disorder.
The government has acknowledged the rising trend of family-related tragedies and continues to implement measures to address mental health concerns and support at-risk families. Authorities are calling on communities to remain vigilant and report unusual behavior to prevent future tragedies.
Investigations into Akai’s actions are ongoing, and officials continue to work to understand the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two young boys.
