Kenyan man kills brother over stiff porridge dispute

Kakamega. A 42-year-old man, Reuben Lutaboni, has been reported to have killed his younger brother, Michael Lukala, aged 40, following an argument over the quantity of stiff porridge, popularly known as ugali, they were preparing.

The tragic incident occurred in Kilimani Village, Kakamega County, Kenya, as reported by Jambo Radio and Tuko.

According to their elder brother, Peter Lukala, the two siblings quarrelled while cooking ugali after returning home from digging a well.

Peter explained that the disagreement arose over the amount of ugali being prepared, during which Reuben allegedly took an axe and attacked Michael, leading to his death.

Their mother recounted that she attempted to intervene in the fight but was overpowered by Reuben.

“He was much stronger and managed to push me out of the house, locking me outside,” she said.

“They were grabbing each other by the collars. I screamed for help, but no one came. I ran around looking for someone to assist, but there was no one. I was locked out while Reuben was attacking his brother,” she added tearfully.

In the aftermath of the incident, a village elder, Cleophas Barasa, urged the community to resolve disputes amicably rather than resorting to violence.

“Such petty disagreements over food should never escalate to the point where one brother kills another,” said Barasa.

He also warned about the risks of grown men living together, particularly siblings in their 40s, highlighting the potential for underlying tensions to flare up.

“It’s dangerous. No one can truly predict another person’s thoughts or intentions. It would have been better if they each lived independently,” he concluded.