• James Wachira from Kithima village in Gichugu constituency is said to have Sunday evening attacked his wife Charity Wangui.
•It is alleged he used panga to chop off her hands before killing her by setting ablaze their wooden and-iron roofed house while she was inside.
Image: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU
A middle-aged man was held at Kirinyaga police station in Gichugu after he allegedly chopped off his wife's hands and set their house ablaze while she screamed.
Nyumba Kumi chair Newton Kariuki said James Wachira from Kithima village in Gichugu constituency on Sunday evening attacked his wife Charity Wangui.
It is alleged he used a panga to chop off her hands, then set the house ablaze while she was inside and unable to move.
The motive was not immediately established.
Kariuki said he heard screams while on his way home from church. He rushed toward the screams and saw an inferno and smoke pouring from the house.
“The smoke was coming from Wachira’s house and I was told he had set ablaze his house while his wife was inside. The two are said to have had a bitter quarrel before the head of the house took the unthinkable action," he told the Star.
The suspect is said to be between 42 to 45 years, while his wife was between 35 an 37 years.
A resident who sought anonymity she and her friend were on their way home from church when they spotted Wachira’s home burning. Drawing closer, they said they found the man holding a sharp panga as he cursed his wife.
“No sooner had we entered into the compound that we saw the panga-wielding man who told us to our faces that he wished his wife to die. After some minutes we heard someone screaming helplessly inside the burning house.
"We screamed for help but nothing could be done."
MCA Erastus Ireri said the couple had two children who were not home at thee time.
Ireri condemned the act and urged the government to speed up the investigation to bring the culprit to book.
The body was taken Kerugoya Referral Hospital morgue awaiting autopsy.
He deplored the high number of domestic violence cases in his ward . Barely a week ago, one of the area sub chiefs met an untimely death in similar circumstances.
He advised couples to resolve their disputes amicably rather than taking the law into their own hands.
“If you are experiencing difficulties in your marriage, the solution is not to kill your partner. Look for ways you can resolve your differences," he advised.
Late last week,MP Gichimu Githinji pledged to organise public awareness forums with psychology and counseLling experts to offer emotional support and advice.
Gichimu spoke during the burial of the slain Kkirinyaga five family members who were allegedly hacked to death by the head of the family after an alleged domestic related case.
(Edited by V. Graham)