Trader kills mum-in-law and hangs self after wife leaves

Mwingi trader’s shop /MUSEMBI NZENGU
Mwingi trader’s shop /MUSEMBI NZENGU

A man hanged himself after stabbing his mother-in-law to death

in Makithea village, Kitui

county.

The Mwingi trader had travelled

on Tuesday night to Kaningo in search of his estranged wife who

had returned to her parents’ home following

a dispute.

Kaningo chief Samson Kitheka said the incident took place at around 1.20am yesterday. He said the businessman was believed to have been enraged that his wife had fled their matrimonial home and was reluctant to return.

“The man arrived at his in-laws at around 10pm on Tuesday night,

but found his wife absent. After

spending

some time

with the children

without their mother

returning,

he left behind a message

that

he would be back to thoroughly punish her,” the chief said.

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The

chief

said the

man returned around 1pm

and

attempted

to torch the

grass-thatched house where

his wife and

their three children were

sleeping.

“The woman woke up from sleep

due to the

heavy

smell of petrol. When she

ventured out to

find

out where

the smell was

emanating

from, she was

attacked

by

the husband with a sharp knife and she wailed for help,” Kitheka said on the phone.

The chief said the man attacked

his mother-in-law as she tried to

rescue her daughter. “The man

who had already severely stabbed his

wife and daughter then turned the knife on the mother-in-law and stabbed her in the abdomen,”

Kitheka said.

He said the woman collapsed

and died. The chief said after

killing

his mother-in-law, the man fled to a nearby farm and

hanged

himself. “The

woman

and

his daughter survived the attack

but suffered serious stab wounds,” Kitheka said.

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