Patrick Mwangi was slashed with a machete by his wife, Eunice Wangari, 38.
He died while being rushed to Kiria-ini Mission Hospital.
The suspect has since surrendered herself to Kiria-ini Police Station and is awaiting arraignment at Kangema Law Court.
According to Peter Gatawa, a former councillor in the area and cousin to the deceased, the couple had experienced repeated marital conflict.
Mwangi had been assaulted several times by his wife, and reports to the police station yielded no action.
“They went to the police station, the court, and even the chief’s camp,” Gatawa recounted. “But it ended with the woman slashing her husband with a machete.”
The incident sparked an immediate community backlash. Residents of Kiria ini converged on the police station demanding the suspect’s release so they could lynch her, forcing officers to maintain heightened security.
Mwangi’s rise from poverty to modest success has drawn sympathy from the community.
Starting as a water delivery cyclist, he gradually built a life for himself, eventually purchasing a pickup truck and establishing a car wash business.
Those who knew him described him as a peace-loving and hard-working man.
“We are devastated with this loss,” Gatawa said. “He was a very hard-working man who now leaves his children without a helper.”
The case has raised difficult questions about institutional responsibility. Gatawa noted that the suspect was pregnant at the time of her arrest, leaving her children without either parent.
“We need to be careful with marital wrangles,” Gatawa reflected. “You don’t need to win these fights, because sometimes you win, but at what cost?”
