A 32-year-old woman was stabbed to death in the Ngenia area of Tigoni, Kiambu County, in a suspected case of intimate partner violence. The victim, identified as Valentine Wanjiku, sustained multiple stab wounds while walking with another man on Sunday morning. The assailant, believed to be her former boyfriend, reportedly attacked the pair as they arrived at their home in the Ngenia Makaburini area.
Wanjiku suffered deep wounds to her neck, right thigh, and left leg. Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead on arrival at Tigoni Level Four Hospital. The attacker fled the scene immediately after the incident. Authorities have since launched a manhunt, and investigations are underway to establish the motive behind the killing, which remains unclear.
The tragic incident has reignited concerns about rising cases of gender-based violence and the increasing number of women being killed by current or former partners. It highlights the urgent need for preventive strategies and community engagement to address relationship-based violence.
In a separate case in the Vitengeni area of Kilifi County, a 75-year-old man was found brutally murdered on his farm. The body, discovered about 150 meters from his house, bore two deep cuts on the back of the head and face. Additionally, the man had injuries to his left wrist and his right ankle had been severed. The scene also showed signs of destruction, with the victim’s maize plantation having been trampled during the attack.
Items found near the body included a mobile phone, a knife, a wallet containing some cash, and his national identification card. Police are continuing their investigations to determine what led to the killing, though no motive has been confirmed so far.
Elsewhere in Mwangulu, Kwale County, a 70-year-old man named Mwamkono Chaka was hacked to death just outside his home. According to reports, the incident occurred on Saturday night. His wife, who was inside the house during the attack, managed to escape unharmed. Details remain scarce, but investigators believe the attackers targeted Chaka directly.
Authorities have since moved the bodies to local mortuaries for autopsy as part of the ongoing investigations. Police suspect that some of these killings, particularly those targeting the elderly in coastal counties, may be linked to longstanding land disputes. Such cases are reportedly common in regions like Kilifi and Kwale, where unresolved property ownership issues frequently result in violence, often affecting older men believed to be primary landholders or custodians of ancestral land.
Law enforcement agencies are urging community members to come forward with information that could assist in arresting the perpetrators and preventing further loss of life.
