A man from Lemayat village, Kipkelion East, has burned his 70-year-old father to death after the latter allegedly declined to grant him a portion of the family’s land as an inheritance.
Joseph Koech, a neighbour, claimed the suspect had for a period of time demanded that his father allocate him part of the three acres in vain.
"The heated arguments ended drastically today (yesterday) when the young man locked his father in the semi-permanent timber house and set it ablaze. Our efforts to put out the fire were fruitless," said Mr. Koech.
The old man, a widower, had been living with his son for the last two weeks upon arrival from his other farm in Kisii.
“We suspect that the young man killed his father before setting the house on fire because as it was burning, the father did not call for help," said Koech.
When The Standard arrived at the scene overlooking Chepseon trading centre, the rubble was still smoldering.
The first people to arrive at the scene did not salvage anything. Underneath the caved iron sheets was a destroyed gas cooker, twisted window panes and destroyed bags of cement.
At the farm that cost the old man his life were dozens of cabbages, he had planted with the hope of cashing in during the current dry season when vegetables are scarce.
Kericho County Police Commander James Mugera said when police arrived at the scene, they found the house razed to the ground and the owner burnt beyond recognition.
He said they were looking for the suspect.