Policewoman, husband found dead in suspected murder-suicide

A man allegedly killed his wife, a policewoman, and then hanged himself in Kianyaga town, Kirinyaga County, on Thursday night.

Samuel Kiama, a butcher, is accused of stabbing Carol Mbote to death at the Kianyaga police lines.

Residents said the couple had quarrelled. They found Ms Mbote dead in the house in the wee hours of Friday.

"It is not known why the couple quarrelled. We were shocked to hear this morning that they were dead," one resident said.

BREAK-IN

The butcher's employer, Mr Charles Kamau, said he suspected something was amiss when Kiama did not report for work.

"When I failed to see Mr Kiama, I knew something was wrong and immediately dispatched two workers to go to the police lines and check on him," he said.

"On arrival, the workers knocked on the door of his house but there was no response."

He said police broke into the house and found Ms Mbote's body in a pool of blood and that of her husband hanging from the roof.

SHOCK

Other residents said the couple lived harmoniously so the incident took them by surprise.

Ms Winfred Nyambura said: "The butcher was a humble person. We could not believe it when we heard that that he had killed his wife, who was attached to the crime office at Kianyaga Police Station."

She added: "They never had issues since they started living together last year."

Kirinyaga East police boss Anthony Wanjuu said police will later issue a comprehensive statement to the press.

"We are piecing together details to establish the motive behind the killing," he said.