There was shock and horror in Ol Kalou Constituency, Nyandarua County on Thursday after a man killed his three-year-old niece, attacked his mother, before attempting to take his own life.

According to a resident who spoke to the Star, the 27-Year-Old man had intended to kill his wife and four-year-old son but the woman fled while the child was in school.

The man then proceeded to his mother’s house where he found his sister’s daughter and cut her in the head with a panga, killing her on the spot. The blood-thirsty killer then attacked his mother and left her unconscious before heading to school to pick up his son.

At the school, teachers asked if anything was wrong. The suspect told them that he had killed his mother and niece.

“The teachers raised the alarm so he fled and jumped into a nearby dam. Residents found him trying to slit his throat and pulled him out,” the resident is quoted as saying.

Confirming the incident, area Chief said the man’s mother was taken to a nearby hospital and that she was unconscious. She suffered injuries to her head and other parts of the body.

The suspect’s father said he had returned home from Nairobi four days ago and told his wife that he intended to commit murder.

“He went to Nairobi a few months ago for work at construction sites. His wife informed me of what he said so I told her to stay alert,” he said.

The father said he tried to talk to his son to find out what the problem was but his efforts were futile.

“He could be under the influence of drugs. His acts could also be as a result of cult worship,” he said.

Locals accused police of laxity, saying they took too long to report to the scene. They said that by the time officers arrived, they had disarmed the suspect and taken his mother to a hospital.