Grief and Outrage After Bomet Teacher Is Hacked to Death by Husband

Mononwet, Bomet East — Shock and sorrow have gripped Mononwet village after a 24-year-old teacher, Jesca Chelangat, was brutally hacked to death by her husband in what police suspect was a domestic feud gone tragically violent.

Jesca, a teacher at Davsi Academy in Kiromwok Location, was attacked in the early hours of Monday by her 27-year-old husband following a domestic quarrel. According to police, the suspect used a machete during the attack and fled the scene immediately afterward.

The suspect was arrested nearly eight hours later at a hideout in Kiromwok trading centre after members of the public tipped off the police. He had earlier evaded an attempted citizen's arrest by falsely claiming he would turn himself in.

Confirming the incident, Bomet East Sub-County Police Commander Michael Singa said the man admitted to killing his wife, allegedly because she had threatened to leave him for another man.

“The suspect claimed he was angered by her decision to leave, especially after he said he had paid her college fees,” Singa told reporters.

Police say the murder weapon has been recovered and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), are finalizing murder charges. The suspect is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.

Commander Singa condemned the killing, urging couples to seek peaceful resolutions to their problems rather than resorting to violence.

“This is heartbreaking. No disagreement should ever lead to such a horrific outcome,” he said. “We are calling on community members to reject violence and embrace dialogue.”

Jesca’s killing adds to the growing list of gender-based violence (GBV) incidents reported in Bomet County this year, with at least six similar cases recorded so far — a worrying trend that has sparked concern among local leaders and residents alike.

As her colleagues and students mourn a life cut short, the community is left grappling with painful questions — and a plea for justice and change.