Dispute over Sh2,000 government stipend takes fatal turn in Laikipia
At a village in Laikipia County, locals gather to pray and condole with the family of a 49-year-old woman, the victim of a cold-blooded murder allegedly executed by her younger brother following a dispute over the use of Sh2,000.
A few metres from the temporary tent at Male area where mourners are conducting prayers and funeral meetings, villagers converse in hushed tones, trying to come to terms with the brutal killing of Rebecca Muthoni last Saturday.
Mary Wahito recounts the ordeal of how her son allegedly killed her daughter, Rebecca Njeri, following a dispute in Kiburuti village, Laikipia County, on Saturday.
A hammer blow to the back of her head cut short the life of the mother of four.
Her ailing and ageing mother, Ms Mary Wahito, who witnessed the chilling incident, is distraught and says she does not wish to see her son near her again.
“As long as I live, I will never again consider him my son. Let the government deal with him in whichever way they deem fit knowing that none of his family members will support him in the court case,” she says.
Soon after the incident, the suspect, Mr Joseph Gitahi, 45, surrendered to authorities at Matanya police station five kilometres away.
Face murder charges
He was arraigned on Monday to face murder charges but did not take a plea following a request by police for more time to enable them complete investigations, which will include a post-mortem on the victim and a mental assessment of the suspect.
Back at the home of the suspect, his mother describes her fourth-born child now aged 45 and still a bachelor, as a troublemaker who has never given her peace since her husband died eight years ago.
She recalls how a heated verbal exchange between her children degenerated into a physical confrontation and a tragic end to her daughter's life.
“My second-born daughter is married in the neighbourhood and on this particular day had visited me to assist in general clean-up and cooking, something she has been doing for a while now. As we were seated in the kitchen her brother came, picked a quarrel with her and it ended tragically,” recalls 81-year-old Wahito.
Villagers are still trying to come to terms with the brutal killing of Rebecca Muthoni last Saturday.
She adds that a day earlier, Mr Gitahi, being the trusted caregiver to his mother, had withdrawn Sh2,000 - the monthly payout by the government to the elderly under the Inua Jamii initiative.
Ms Wahito remembers her son turning wild when asked how he had spent the money and threatening to kill his sister.
Fetch a hammer
“He walked into the kitchen where we were seated, picked a quarrel and then walked out to fetch a hammer from the store. He hit Muthoni at the back of the head sending her sprawling to the floor, unconscious. The son was still determined to hit her again but I intervened,” explains the mother.
She recounts how she took her walking stick and hit her son on the back, forcing him out of the house, where he warned neighbours not to answer the distress call or he would kill them.
It took about three hours for relatives and neighbours to gather courage and respond to the incident. Muthoni was rushed to Naromoru Level Four Hospital, where she succumbed to head injuries while undergoing treatment.
Muthoni’s husband Peter Gachure says on that particular day, he had travelled to Naromoru to send some food to their daughter, who is a college student in Nyeri.
Peter Mwangi recalls his last moments with his wife Rebecca Njeri, who was allegedly killed by her brother in Kiburuti village, Laikipia County.
“We woke up normally and shared the day’s responsibilities. My wife was to visit my mother-in-law to help in washing her clothes and cooking while I packed some cabbages and potatoes to send to our third-born daughter in Nyeri town,” he says.
It was while in Naromoru town that he was informed that his wife was badly injured and was asked to head to the hospital.
“On arrival at the hospital, I forced my way to the emergency room and pushed the medics aside, held my unconscious wife closely and some instinct told me she would never wake up again,” recalled Mr Gachure.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the sleepy village that has now been thrust into infamy, with villagers warning that such incidents are likely to recur in the future unless authorities deal decisively with alcoholism as well as drug and substance abuse.
Bizarre murder incidents
Ms Alice Mwai, a village elder, says such an incident has never been witnessed there before. “I have watched some bizarre murder incidents on television and never imagined it could happen in my village. We should all join efforts to fight drug and substance abuse, which is slowly eroding society’s morals,” notes Ms Mwai.
Tigithi 1 chief Wilson Thuo speaks at Mary Wahito's home in Kiburuti village, Laikipia County, January 15, 2024.
Tigithi Location Chief Wilson Thuo admits that alcoholism and drug abuse are rampant in the area but accuses parents of failing to cooperate with authorities in eradicating the menace.
“Some family members are protective of their kin and alert them of an impending raid by police. We cannot win this war without the cooperation of citizens,” warns Mr Thuo.
