A 56-year-old man from Kiharo village in Gatumbiro, Nyandarua county, on Wednesday killed his wife and attempted to take his own life.
Nyandarua West subcounty police commander Wanyama Nyongesa on Wednesday evening said Moses Njogu hit Jane Waitherero, 50, in the head with a heavy blunt object.
She was pronounced dead on arrival at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital, where she was taken by neighbours.
Wanyama said Njogu ambushed Waitherero at a home she had sought refuge in the neighbourhood after they separated two months ago over domestic violence.
Njogu has been arrested and investigations launched.
Residents said Njogu attacked his wife at around 10am on Wednesday. Zipporah Muriithi said she was working on the farm with her family when they saw Njogu running under the cover of trees heading to the home where Waitherero was staying.
The home is about 400 metres from the couple’s home.
“After a brief moment we heard a distress call, and we saw Njogu running from the compound. We asked him what he had done, and he told us, I have killed her, go and pick the body,” Muriithi said.
She said they found Waitherero on the ground with blood oozing from her right ear.
By then, Njogu had jumped into a nearby well. He was rescued by youths who had pursued him.
Resident Muriithi Gitonga said they put the injured woman in his car to rush her to hospital, but the pathetic cornerstone road aggravated a bad situation.
“The women did their best to push the car through mud and potholes but unfortunately it broke down. I called another friend to assist but Waitherero died before we got to the hospital. She had lost too much blood,” he said.
Neighbours and family members said the couple had been fighting for many years and sometimes back Njogu was jailed for attempted murder, but she kept going back to him.
There was also a time he torched their house intending to kill his wife and their three daughters.
Muriithi said a week ago, neighbours rescued Waitherero from Njogu, who had gone to attack her demanding that she goes back to her matrimonial home. She declined.
Neighbours and family members said the main problem was a land dispute as Njogu wanted to sell it but his siblings and wife opposed.
His elder brother, Mugo Mututo, said earlier this month he was admitted to J M Kariuki Memorial Hospital after Njogu bit his upper lip. He said Njogu wanted to take his portion of the land, which he inherited from his parents.
Edited by A.N
