A couple was on Monday night murdered in turns by suspected robbers as their children listened in horror.
Joseph Gitonga, 35, and his wife Caroline, 30, were reportedly clobbered to death at different times at Kathankame village in Kithimu ward, Embu West subcounty.
The robbers are reported to have ambushed the woman and tied her with ropes before locking her two daughters in a room. They are said to have clobbered her to death as the girls aged 10 and six listened to her moan in pain from a separate room.
Chief Albert Njiru said the robbers hit the woman with a blunt weapon.
"They then pushed her unconscious body under her matrimonial bed then hung around waiting for the husband who operates a video show business at Kithimu market. He was late that day," Njiru said on Tuesday.
He said when the husband arrived in his car, the robbers ambushed him in the compound and hit him. He fell unconscious, the administrator said.
They left before the children managed to come out of their room, he said, "and the older one informed neighbours about the incident".
County police commander Daniel Rukunga said the gang remained inside the house until Gitonga arrived to face his death.
“When the robbers entered the house, they asked for money. They hit the woman when she said she didn't have any. They also seriously beat the husband,” Rukunga said.
The children, he said, were unhurt.
"They went to their uncle’s house and informed him before he took the couple to the hospital where the woman was pronounced dead on arrival while the husband died hours later while undergoing treatment."
The police boss said the attackers stole a TV set, a DVD player and a cooking gas cylinder.
Police visited the scene and commenced investigations.
The bodies were moved to Embu Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
Edited by R.Wamochie
