A 16-year-old boy is on the run after he stabbed his mother’s lover to death on Monday night in Bureti, Kericho County.

The Form One student at Kiburus Secondary School reportedly found the 65-year-old man having sex with his 40-year-old widowed mother in the kitchen.

A neighbour, identified as Mercy Mutai, said that on Monday night she heard the boy arguing with the deceased Michael Rono about his affair with his mother.

The boy was heard asking: “What are you doing with my mother, yet you are not my father?”

A confrontation ensued leading to the fatality. Area Chief Anderson Rotich said the suspect lost his temper and picked up a kitchen knife that he used to stab Mr Rono in the chest.

“The young man had banished the man from the compound before and when he found him having sex with his mother in the kitchen, he lost his temper. He beat the old man before picking a knife and stabbed him twice in the chest,” said Chief Rono.

The suspect’s neighbour, Mercy Mutai, said the boy is “usually quiet” and “has never portrayed elements of violence”.

“After killing the man, the boy’s mother screamed. I rushed to the scene and saw the old man fall down with a sickening thud as blood oozed from his chest,” said Ms Mutai.

The deceased died on the spot. His body was moved to Kapkatet District Hospital mortuary.

Kericho County Deputy Police Commander Patricia Nasio said a manhunt has been launched to bring the suspect to book.

“We are investigating the incident. We are on the trail of the suspect, once he is arrested, he will be arraigned in court to face relevant charges,” said Ms Nasio.

She further implored Kericho residents to learn to control their tempers in the face of confrontation.

“We are calling particularly on young men to respect their mothers and the choices they make in terms of heart matters,” said Nasio.