In Kiandai village, Kirinyaga County, a 42-year-old man killed his wife and son before killing himself.
Jeremiah Muriuki’s body was found dangling from a tree at a neighbor’s farm, while his wife Peris Wanjiku 42 and son Jackson Kinyua 13 were found in their house, lying in a pool of blood.
Muriuki’s father, Mzee Cyrus Mbutu, said the incident shocked the family.
“At first we thought he had only taken his life when we found his body in the fields, only to break into their house and find the bodies of his wife and son lying in a pool of blood,” said Mzee Mbutu.
Muriuki is thought to have killed his wife and son, a class seven pupil at Kiandai Primary School, then locked their bodies inside the house before committing suicide outside – nearly one kilometer away.
Maitharui Village in-charge Mr. John Muriuki said that Kinyua and his wife had been having domestic disagreements.
“I can confirm that the woman had on several occasions sought refuge in Mwea. I remember the issue on the last case had something to do with a text message,” said the village leader.
Confirming the incident, Kirinyaga police commander Matthew Mang’ira said that the wife had a deep cut on her head, while the boy had a deep cut on his neck.
“We suspect the man used a knife to kill the boy, before using an axe to kill his wife. We have recovered the weapon and our detectives are investigating the matter to establish what really happened,” Mang’ira said.
The three bodies were taken to Kibugi Funeral Home for postmortem examination.
