Man kills wife and son before dying by suicide

Crime scene

Tragedy struck a family in Githunguri, Kiambu county, after a 26-year-old man allegedly killed his wife and young son before taking his own life.

The man cited alcoholism for the murder and suicide, a note recovered showed.

According to police the incident was discovered at around 6:00 am on Wednesday when a relative left her house to fetch water and noticed the body of her brother-in-law, identified as Kennedy Kabaiku, hanging from an avocado tree with a sisal rope around his neck.

The woman raised an alarm and proceeded to check inside the deceased’s house, where she found the bodies of his wife, Susan Wambui, 26, and their two-and-a-half-year-old son, lying in pools of blood.

Police said a blood-stained panga, believed to have been used in the attack, was recovered beside the bed.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the mother and child suffered fatal cuts to the neck.

Police officers responded to the scene, which was later processed and documented by crime scene investigators from Kiambu.

Investigators also recovered what is believed to be a suicide note posted on the deceased’s social media status, in which he reportedly blamed his father for alcoholism.

The bodies were moved to Mukoe Funeral Home pending post-mortem examinations as detectives continue with investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The incident has shocked residents of the area, with police treating the matter as a suspected murder-suicide.

Suicide incidents have been on the rise amid efforts to address them. 

The World Health Organisation says such cases are attributed to joblessness, death, academic failures or pressures, legal difficulties and financial difficulties.

Other reasons are bullying, previous suicide attempts, history of suicide in a family, alcoholism and substance misuse, depression and bipolar disorder.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old casual labourer contracted by a power utility firm died after sustaining serious injuries while working on a power line project in Uriri Sub-County, Migori County.

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Got Kolima Village in Got Uriri Sub-location, South East Kanyamkago Location.

According to police, the deceased, identified as Maurice Oiro Ochieng, was part of a team undertaking power-related operations when a utility pole reportedly swayed and struck him.

He sustained severe injuries to the right side of his head and neck and was rushed to Migori Level IV Hospital for emergency treatment.

However, he succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment.

Police officers visited the scene and established that there were blood stains on the ground near a fallen pole believed to have caused the fatal injuries.

Officers later visited the hospital mortuary, where the body had been transferred for preservation pending a post-mortem examination.

Police noted that the deceased had visible injuries on the right side of the head and neck, with blood observed oozing from the ears and nose, indicating the severity of the impact.

Investigations have been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the workplace accident, including whether all safety procedures were followed during the operation.