What should have been a season of joy turned into grief for two families in Limuru, Kiambu County, after a man brutally murdered his estranged wife before taking his own life.
The grim incident unfolded in Kamandura on Sunday, following a heated disagreement between the man, identified as Paul Waweru Waithera, and his 34-year-old wife, a mother of three.
According to authorities, Waithera ambushed his wife as she returned home from a Chama (group) meeting at Kamirithu Shopping Centre. A village elder who later found her mutilated body in a cornfield alerted the police.
“The victim was walking home with another woman when the husband accosted them, armed with a crude weapon,” reported the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). “While the companion managed to escape and raise the alarm, it was too late for the victim. Her body was discovered lifeless. The suspect was later found dead, hanging from the roof of his house.”
The bodies have been moved to Tigoni Level IV Hospital mortuary.
Rising Cases of Femicide
The tragedy adds to the troubling statistics of femicide in Kenya. Data from Africa Data Hub reveals that at least 500 women and girls have been killed since 2016, despite government efforts to combat gender-based violence.
Recent police statistics paint an even bleaker picture: 97 women were killed in the last three months, averaging one death every 24 hours. Current or former intimate partners are often the perpetrators.
This incident has sparked renewed calls for urgent action to address gender-based violence, particularly during a time of year meant for celebration and unity.
