Killing of a police corporal who hailed from Kopiyo Village in Homa Bay Town Constituency pushed his poor mother into depression after receiving reports of the death of the sole breadwinner of her family.

Preliminary reports said that the officer identified as Chrispine Ouma Deya was killed while he was guarding an examinations container at Turkana East Deputy County Commissioner’s office.

The family was told that during the Monday 4.30am incident, armed criminals killed the officer and disappeared with his firearm.

Relatives and friends thronged the home of the officer on Tuesday at Kopiyo village in Homa Bay East Ward to condole with the family. His mother Anjilina Achieng termed her son’s death as a huge blow.

Achieng said she struggled to educate Ouma with meagre income from menial jobs after the death of her husband John Otieno many years ago.

“I educated my son selling firewood, which I used to fetch and sell at shopping centres at villages. I really struggled and could go without food or good clothing,” Achieng said.

Achieng said she was optimistic that her son would one day become the breadwinner in her family. Through God’s grace, her son secured the job with the National Police Service in 2018. She revealed that Deya was playing a pivotal role in improving livelihood in the family.

“When he came back home last August this year, he bought me a water tank. He told me I had struggled to educate him hence I should not struggle again looking for water in the village,” Achieng said.

Deya’s wife Verah Amondi said it was unfortunate that she had been widowed early in life. She said Deya died when they were only three years old in their marriage.

“It is very sad that he is dead at a time when my family needed him most. He has left me with a two year old child,” Amondi said.

The widow remembered how she had a conversation with Deya on Sunday, some hours before he died.

“We spoke on Sunday and discussed how he was going to provide me with funds for starting a business. It’s sad that he died before the plans we had were actualised,” Amondi said.

She appealed to the government to support her with a job.

“I hold a diploma in General Agriculture and my appeal is for support from the government to get a job,” Amondi said.

Deya’s brother Erick Deya appealed to the government to ensure that the criminals who killed their kin were brought to book.

“My brother has been killed in cold blood yet he was on duty providing this country with security. We appeal for justice,” Erick said.

 The slain officer’s sister in-law Benter Odhiambo expressed concerns that the death had deprived the family of a member who paid school for all the children.

“Deya is the one who has been paying my children’s school fees in secondary school. It is a very sad moment,” Ms Odhiambo said.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / KNA by Davis Langat