Police hunt for ex-convict for 'killing' mother

Police in Kirinyaga are looking for an ex-convict suspected to have hacked his mother to death over land.

The assailant who was among 3,908 petty offenders who were pardoned by President Uhuru Kenyatta during Madaraka Day celebrations is said to have killed his mother Grace Muthoni Ndambiri, 76 in the bathroom at Njoga on Sunday and went into hiding.

Neighbours responding to the distress calls found the elderly woman lying in a pool of blood and reported the matter to the police.

Mwea East sub-county police boss Daniel Kitavi said his officers responded fast on receiving information on the gruesome murder and found the body of the victim inside the main house and removed it to Kibugi Funeral Home.

"The woman was fatally attacked as she had deep cuts in the head," said Mr Kitavi.
Prior to the murder, the suspect had been embroiled in a land row with his mother.

" The man who was released from jail after being pardoned by the President had been demanding a share of the family land from his mother and the duo used to quarrel frequently. We suspect the man eliminated the old woman after she refused to meet his demand," said Mr Kitavi.

However, Mr Kitavi said investigations were on to establish the actual reasons why the suspect did he act.

He said police together with the residents were tracking down the suspect who escaped immediately after killing his mother.

Mr Kitavi said the woman was staying with his son after her husband who was a teacher died.
"All the other children are employed and the woman was living in the same homestead with her ex-convict son who was known to be having bad behaviour," said Mr Kitavi.

The police boss said the matter was being treated as murder and the suspect will be charged with a capital offence if seized. 

Following the incident, residents are still reeling in shock.

"We are still shocked over what happened in our village," one of the residents, Joyce Wambui said.
They described the deceased as a social, generous and God fearing woman ‘who did not deserve to die painfully.’

The residents said they ‘loved the deceased so much and that they will forever remember her.’
"She used to feed us when we were hungry and her death is a great loss to us," said Mr Joseph Kinyua.