A village in Imenti Central, Meru County, is reeling in shock after a 27-year-old man killed his 50-year-old mother and his 90-year-old grandmother.
Last Sunday, Jamleck Muriithi fulfilled his threat of “killing somebody one day,” a threat he had repeated several times over the past five years, according to the family.
Reuben Kabujo, his father, recounted how he fought off his violent son before he killed his wife Zipporah Mutura, and his mother Tiritha Karimi.
He explained that his son, who had recently become violent, timed the attack when most people had gone to church and accosted him around 9 am. The son started hurling insults, accusing the family of falsely accusing him of abusing bhang.
“I was sitting beneath a tree, enjoying my tea. Muriithi approached, shouting. I said to him, ‘my son, what’s troubling you today? Calm down. No one has ever accused you of what you’re saying.’
“Out of nowhere, he threw a punch at me, and I managed to block it. I struck him, and he fled, hurling obscenities, vowing to return and settle the matter,” recounted the father, according to Nation.Africa.
“I presumed he had gone to the farm. However, suddenly, I heard three loud consecutive bangs. Unbeknownst to me, he had gone to his grandmother’s house, taken an axe, and, on his way back to confront me, encountered her,” he explained.
Kabujo sprinted towards the noise and saw his mother sprawled on the ground with her head split into two. In fear for his life, he forgot that his wife was also in the same compound and fled.
“I ran as fast as I could and reported the matter to the area chief. As we were talking, we heard people shouting that my son had also killed his mother,” he said.
After killing his grandmother, Muriithi reportedly heard his mother wailing in the house and followed her there. He proceeded to strike her several times on the head, leaving her for dead.
Relatives reported that following the incident, Muriithi rushed into his house, swiftly changed clothes that were drenched in blood, and made a quick escape.
However, a mob seeking retribution caught him, before he was saved by officers from Gaitu police station who subsequently arrested him.
The area chief, Godfrey Bundi, said that the family had been living in fear that Murithi would one day carry out his threat, as he had exhibited signs of depression.
“This is the first incident in this village and we are in shock. I advise members of families with people who keep threatening them to take the threats seriously and resolve the problems before they escalate into deadly fights,” the administrator said.
