Manhunt on for Kisumu man who killed four family members

Meanwhile, in a separate room, more relatives are dealing with the shock of an unfathomable tragedy. 

What had started out as a normal weekend took a dark turn around 8 p.m. on Saturday when neighbours were alerted by one of the suspect's children's incessant crying.

Monica Atieno, a neighbour, described the chilling moment: 

"Niliskia tu kama mtoto alikuwa analia sasa nikauliza huyo bro wangu ni kwa nini unachapa mtoto hakuniongelesha sasa niakimbia niende nione ni kwa nini mtoto analia kufika hapo nikapata mtoto ameshakufa sasa sikujua ati kumbe pia bibi yake alikuwa hapo ndani kujaribu kumuita ndio kuna mtoto mwingine alikuja akaniambia ati ata bibi yake ashamuua ako hapo ndani,"

The suspect, 28-year-old Shem Akuku, is said to have killed his wife and son in the Saturday incident. 

Armed with a machete, he is said to have gone to the next house and brutally attacked his 78-year-old uncle before turning the weapon on his 58-year-old aunt, Mary Otieno, killing her on the spot. 

Reports indicate he disappeared into the nearby sugarcane plantation after the act. 

The motive for the killings is unknown, leaving the family and community in shock because the suspect had never shown violent tendencies in the past.

The suspect's mother, Phoebe Akoth, described her son as nonconfrontational: 

"Yeye ni mtoto mwenye ata kama mwenzake anamoksea anaomba tu msamaha ana sema hakuna haja ya kupigana afadhali tu watu waongee kitu ambayo alifanya taa mimi nashangaa na hiyo maneno yake sijui ni shetani gani,"

"He is a child who even if provoked, he just asks for forgiveness, saying there's no need for fighting. I am baffled by his actions; I don't know what kind of devil possessed him."

James Otieno, the suspect's father, attested to his son's mild-mannered nature: "He was not troublesome; he didn't drink alcohol or indulge in any substance abuse. I've tried calling almost all our relatives; no one has seen him."

As authorities intensify efforts to apprehend the suspect, the bodies of the victims have been transferred to the Othoo Morgue in Muhoroni for autopsy. 

The community remains shaken as they grapple with the aftermath of the tragic events that unfolded in their midst.