Residents of Kadenge in Alego Usonga were left in shock on Sunday morning after the body of a 35-year-old man was found hanging from a mango tree in Udura village.
The deceased, Nicholas Otieno, also known as Abanko, is believed to have taken his own life following a dispute over dowry cattle linked to his elder sister.
Kadenge Assistant Chief Jacob Ouma told reporters that the family reported the incident shortly after 3 a.m. “Preliminary accounts indicate that Nicholas demanded full control of the dowry animals. His mother had offered only one calf, and the disagreement escalated,” he said.
Otieno reportedly left home around 9 p.m. on Saturday. His body was discovered hours later by young people returning from a funeral vigil, who immediately alerted the family.
Chief Ouma confirmed that the dowry had been formally settled the previous day, but Otieno insisted on receiving at least two cows.
Police officers visited the scene and later transferred the body to Siaya County Referral Hospital’s mortuary. A postmortem examination is expected, and investigations into the circumstances are ongoing.
Local leaders have called for calm, urging families to resolve conflicts peacefully.
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