A sharp pain is what Janet Awino recalls feeling before everything in her world turned black on Saturday night.
It all started on March 11 this year when the mother of three was attending to house chores at her home in Nyalenda, Kisumu County.
Her brother-in-law approached her compound and informed her that he had come to repair faulty electric lines. She reports that he also blamed her for their power issues.
Using the pliers he had, he proceeded to repair the electric lines after a brief exchange of words with her, Ms Awino says.
But as he was about to leave the compound, she asked for a share of money he had received from the sale of wood from trees that were on the family’s land.
“My brother-in-law has been selling pieces of wood from the land. I decided to ask him if he could share Sh500 with me so I can sort some family needs.”
He reportedly became agitated by this request and made it clear that she would not get a dime.
“He told me that he had participated in planting the trees so nobody should dare question him about anything,” she alleges.
He left and she went about her duties of the day.
Later in the evening, she was conversing with another relative when the brother-in-law approached her and asked what they were talking about. Before she could respond, she says he moved towards her and hit her right eye with something.
“Everything happened so fast. I felt a sharp pain and everything around me turned dark. I struggled to hold on to a wall and remain upright,” said Awino during an interview from her hospital bed where she was admitted last Saturday.
Badly damaged
She was helped onto a motorcycle and taken to Kasagam Police Station in Kisumu East Sub-County to lodge an assault complaint. But on arrival, the officers asked her to seek medical attention first.
With her eye still bleeding, she proceeded to Kisumu County Hospital but was referred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) because her eyeball was badly damaged.
She says the doctors advised her to undergo surgery to have the affected eye removed.
“The experts at the facility explained that my eye was badly damaged and could have affected the second one which could leading to total blindness,” she said.
When the Nation visited her at JOOTRH on Tuesday morning, she had just undergone eye surgery and was recuperating in the women’s ward.
She also alleges that this is not the first time that she has been attacked.
“A few years ago, I sustained a serious head injury after I was attacked by the same man. The matter was settled at family level,” said a teary Ms Awino.
“I still have a scar on my head as a constant reminder.”
Same compound
She says she’s apprehensive about returning home since her attacker lives in the same compound.
“We share the same compound and without my husband to defend me, I am not sure what the future holds for me,” she said.
Ms Awino now says that with her new handicap, her biggest worry is schooling and providing food for her two children since she is the sole breadwinner.
Confirming the incident, Kisumu County Commander Mr Alphonse Kimathi said the matter was reported at Kasagam Police Station under OB number/14/03/2023 on Tuesday afternoon.
He said the suspect was arrested and is currently in police custody .
“We are working on filling the P3 form and will ensure the suspect is charged in the court of law as soon as possible,” said Mr Kimathi. BY DAILY NATION