Woman on the verge of divorce killed by husband in Lunga Lunga
The couple was scheduled to meet at the Kadhi’s Court to finalise their divorce.
What you need to know:
- Two other people sustained injuries after the suspect attacked them with a knife as they tried to intervene.
- The family revealed that the couple was scheduled to meet at the Kadhi’s Court on Friday to finalise their divorce.
A sombre mood engulfed Pongwe-Kikoneni village in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County, as a 29-year-old woman was interred after she was brutality murdered by her husband.
Lunga Lunga Sub County Police Commander Francis Mwangi reported that Tima Shabani, a mother of two, was allegedly stabbed in the chest by her husband, causing severe bleeding that led to her death.
Two other people sustained injuries after the suspect attacked them with a knife as they tried to intervene.
According to witnesses, the suspect, Alfani Mwakutanga, arrived at the home of deceased on Thursday at 4am on the pretense that he was returning one of the children he had left with the previous evening.
He then entered the deceased’s room, leading to an altercation.
"I had stepped outside to start preparing breakfast when I heard screams from my sister’s room. When I rushed in, I found him sitting on the bed assaulting my sister. When I tried to stop him, he turned on me and stabbed me on the hand three times before fleeing," said Saumu Shabani, the deceased’s sister.
The injured were rushed to Msambweni Referral Hospital, where Tima was pronounced dead.
The family revealed that the couple was scheduled to meet at the Kadhi’s Court on Friday to finalize their divorce, as they had been separated for a while.
"We don’t understand why he did this to my daughter. I appeal to the police to arrest him and ensure justice is served," said Shaban Ndume, the deceased’s father.
According to him, his daughter had suffered abuse on multiple occasions, prompting her to leave her marital home and return to her parents.
Kwale Woman Representative Fatuma Masito, who visited the family, condemned the act and warned against gender-based violence, noting that such cases were on the rise in the county.
"We keep hearing about such cases, and it’s heart breaking that a man can kill his wife. It is even worse when such an incident is happened during the global 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender-Based Violence," she said.
Police said they have launched a manhunt for the suspect.
“You do not expect a person not to go into hiding when they have committed such a crime. The case is already with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and they have taken up the matter,” said Mr Mwangi.
