By MUSEMBI NZENGU
A 17-year-old form three student at Kiomo secondary school in Mwingi central sub-county in Kitui on Wednesday ran berserk and hacked his 11-year-old cousin to death with a machete.
Kiomo location chief Benedetta Mutisya confirmed the murder saying the attacker was an epilepsy patient and was also allegedly not mentally stable.
Chief Mutisya said that the incident occurred at Mangoloma village in Kiomo sublocation.
She added that the deceased was a grade three pupil at Kiomo Primary School.
Mutisya said it was not clear what the motive of the attack was but the assailant fled into an unknown place soon after the incident.
"It is not known what the two boys differed about as they were on their own when the incident occurred," Chief Mutisya said on the phone.
She said the young boy's aunt who was in a different house heard a commotion and as she went to check what was happening, she saw the assailant running away leaving his victim groaning in pain.
"The aunt found the young boy lying in a pool of blood on the floor," said that chief.
She explained that the boy breathed his last as the aunt raised the alarm for assistance.
She added that responding villagers found the boy dead.
The chief said the assailant's parents pulled him out of school a couple of weeks ago after the teacher reported to them his worsening condition.
"He had become vicious and violent as his condition worsened. His father went for him and was advised to take him for medical attention. Sadly, he had not been taken to hospital when he killed his cousin,' she said.
She advised parents with children whom they suspect to have mental conditions to take them to the hospital before they commit such heinous acts.