Police in Kirinyaga County are searching for a woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend at Karucho Trading Centre in Gichugu Constituency.
According to Kirinyaga East (Gichugu) Sub-County Police Commander Johnson Wachira, the suspect had been living with the deceased in a rented house at Karucho Shopping Centre before the tragic incident occurred.
The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Wachira stated that the 48-year-old woman may have used a blunt object, as the victim sustained severe head injuries.
“We are actively searching for the suspect, who is believed to be from Tharaka Nithi County,” he said.
The deceased, identified as 40-year-old Alexander Muthike, was married with three children. His sister, Sarah Wanjiku, expressed shock upon learning about his alleged relationship with the suspect.
“I was picking tea in Kimunye Village, over 20 kilometers away, when I received a distressing call. I rushed here, only to find my brother’s lifeless body in a rented house,” she tearfully recounted.
Angry residents of Karucho, who had been searching for the woman, expressed their frustration, saying they wanted to take matters into their own hands.
“We were together last night, and I even bought her alcohol worth Ksh 40. Little did I know she would kill my friend Muthike. I hope she is arrested soon,” said Joseph Nyaga.
The suspect reportedly disappeared after the incident, taking her three children with her. Some residents, like Ngari Phillip, are calling for stricter monitoring of new tenants to curb rising cases of domestic violence.
“She is not from this area—she’s from Tharaka Nithi. We urge the authorities to keep proper records of people renting houses here,” Phillip said.
According to residents, this is not the first case of a man being killed by a woman in Karucho.
“On November 5, 2022, a 37-year-old woman killed her husband here for unknown reasons. This is becoming a worrying trend,” added Nyaga.
The victim’s body has been transferred to Kibugi Funeral Home in Kutus for a postmortem examination while investigations continue.