NYANDARUA, Kenya Jun 20 – A middle aged man identified as Ken Mburu has been put on suicide watch after stabbing several times his two daughters aged 1 and 7 years, currently receiving treatment in hospital.
The man then proceeded to to stab himself several times on the stomach in an apparent attempt to end his end life.
Mburu according to preliminary reports went on a rampage Saturday evening following an alleged altercation with his wife during the day, in Ziwani estate, Nyandarua County.
Neigbours who quickly arrived at the scene upon hearing the children screaming, pleaded with the suspect not to kill them, as he violently waved a knife.
He is then said to have stabbed his 1 year old after she screamed, calling for her mother before later proceeding to stab his 7 year old daughter, who was pleading with him to stop.
Area chief Mary Kimani told Shahidi News that the suspect has had a long history of violence despite attempts to counsel him after he was reported by his wife to authorities over his violent behaviour towards his family.
“I was called in the evening (Saturday) by residents and informed that a house was burning and children had been stabbed by their father. Mburu is then said to have stabbed himself before he fled the scene. When we arrived the contents of the house were all destroyed,” said Chief Kimani.
One of the neighbors identified as Samuel Muturi, who first approached the scene, told Shahidi News that he confronted the suspect who later threatened to stab him. It was also at this point that his wife arrived at the scene and tried to calm him down.
“I told him to stop but he threatened to kill me. I had to take a few steps back, fearing for my life and it was at this point that his wife grabbed him by the neck and tore his shirt. When he attempted to stab her she fled, ” said Muturi, the neighbour.
Muturi further narrated that after he was forced to flee, he climbed a pole and saw the whole incident as he was stabbing his own children.
Shortly after this, he decided to jump inside the compound and attempted to rescue the children, from their father.
“I jumped from the pole into the compound, opened the gate and rescued the children. I told the 7 year old to follow me as she could walk, as I went and carried the one year old to safety,” he said
It was at this point that Mburu, after stabbing himself, ran inside the house and lit the gas cooker and set his house on fire.
The fire brigade team in the county put out the fire alongside neighbours.
He ran outside the house using the back door and ran into the woods where he was shortly after arrested by police who found him bleeding. He was rushed to hospital.
The two girls are currently recuperating at the Nyahururu County referral Hospital; the 7 year-old sustained 10 stab wounds while the one year-old sustained five, both on their backs.
“The wife called me a couple of weeks ago. At the point, she wanted to go to the chief saying she had issues with his husband. At one point they were even fighting. Before this incident, he said that he wanted a DNA test and threatened to kill the children and burn home,” said Mary Njeri, Neighbour.
“He should be punished by the law, how can you stab your own children, surely?” posed Joyce Karimi, also a neighbour.
The suspect is set to be arraigned and charged with attempted murder, suicide and arson.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Fire brigade vehicle that rushed to the scene to put out the fire is also admitted in hospital after the vehicle veered off the road.
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