A mob has killed a man who fatally attacked his stepbrother over a meat dispute last week in Papa village, Teso South, Busia County.
According to Kaujakito location chief George Okemer, James Osaba, the suspect who had been hiding since killing his stepbrother Grashio Obula, 40, last Friday night, was ambushed and killed by villagers.
“He had been hiding in the sugarcane fields and at times coming out armed with a panga and an arrow. People from Kosera teamed up with villagers to chase him and beat him to death,” said the chief as quoted by Citizen.
After the killing, the mob also set fire to his two houses and destroyed other properties in his home, including plants.
The altercation began last Friday when Osaba and his brother attended a relative’s funeral in Papa village and were assigned roles. Osaba was designated as the funeral organizing secretary, while Obula was tasked with looking after the store where food was stored.
Trouble arose at midnight when Osaba demanded access to the store after meat from a slaughtered cow was placed there, but Obula refused.
“This prompted the suspect to take a knife and stab him in the stomach, causing severe injuries,” Okemer explained.
Family members and villagers allege that this was not the first violent incident involving Osaba. A few months ago, he had attacked another villager with a panga, inflicting severe injuries, although the victim survived.
Despite pleas from local administrators and family members for Osaba to surrender to any police station, he remained elusive.
His body was later removed from the scene and taken to Kocholya hospital mortuary, where his brother’s body was also taken.
