Young welder strangles lover before committing suicide

In yet another shocking incident of domestic violence, residents of Maguguni in Thika East Monday woke up to the stench of two decomposing bodies of young lovers locked up in a single-room house.

The bodies were identified as those of Timothy Ndirangu, 23, a welder, and 27-year-old Grace Wanjiru, a teacher at Wapa Primary School.

Thika East Police Commander Julius Kyumbule said preliminary investigations showed that Mr Ndirangu strangled Ms Wanjiru on Saturday evening before hanging himself using an electrical cable at her house.

“Initial investigations show there was a scuffle between the two lovers before the man killed the woman and hanged himself,” Mr Kyumbule told Nation.

LOCKED UP

Mr Ndirangu’s parents said the two lovers had been having problems in the past one week.

“On Monday, we received information that our son was locked up at Ngoliba Police Station over some misunderstanding he had with a woman, and we went to check on him,” said Mr James Musyoka, his father.

Mr Musyoka recalled that when he arrived at the police station and asked his son what the matter was, he instead asked him who had told him of his detention.

“I told him what I knew and he asked me not to worry because the person who had had him locked up was coming to set him free,” said Mr Musyoka.

SET FREE

True to his words, Mr Ndirangu was set free, and in the presence of his parents, the lovers agreed to end their relationship.

“That was the first time I was seeing this other woman. I had only known his legitimate wife, who lives with him in my compound with their two children,” said Mr Musyoka.

After that incident, Mr Ndirangu went home to his wife on Monday evening.

“While at home, the woman kept calling my son, telling him that she would look for another man with whom to have children because he had rejected her.

“Every time she called, my son would give his wife the phone and ask her to tell her (Wanjiru) to stop destroying their marriage,” said Mr Ndirangu’s mother Priscillah Njeri.

MOVED OUT

Ms Wanjiru reportedly moved out of the house she shared with Mr Ndirangu and rented a single room near her place of work.

This is where their bodies were found.

The family said Mr Ndirangu stayed home from that Monday until Saturday, when he left his father’s compound.

“On Sunday, his wife became anxious and we began looking for him ... then we woke up to the sad news of his death this morning (Monday).

Ms Wanjiru’s body was found lying in her broken bed while that of Mr Ndirangu was found hanging onto a wire tied to the roof.

The bodies were taken to General Kago Funeral Home.