An eight-page suicide note, four lifeless bodies, among them three children, all killed by their biological mother, and a family torn between wishful thinking and coming into reality with tragedy.
That is the situation that gripped Githogoro, an informal settlement scheme that sits next to Runda on the Northern Bypass, on Tuesday after Monicah Ndung’u, 35, allegedly wiped out her family before taking her own life on Tuesday.
Ms Ndung’u had been married to Mr John Mbugua, alias Junior Wagithogoro, for nearly 10 years and had been blessed with three sons—Jayden Mbugua (four), Jaxen Ndung'u (two) and one-and-a-half-year-old Jasper Kangethe.
Mr Samuel Wachira, a family friend, told the Nation on Wednesday morning that Mr Mbugua, a community mobiliser, arrived home past midnight on February 11 and knocked but did not get any response from his family.
After 15 minutes of knocking and waiting, he pushed his way in through the front door of a mini-kiosk that connects to their semi-permanent house.
Mr Wachira told the Nation that Mr Mbugua screamed and woke up neighbours eager to know what had happened.
“The scene was horrible, the three children were killed by their mother by hanging them on door frames using house curtains and mosquito nets,” Mr Wachira, who was the first responder to the scene, said.
Ms Ndung’u allegedly left behind a lengthy suicide note justifying her actions. Detectives investigating the deaths are yet to ascertain if the note was penned by the woman.
‘’I am the one who has killed the children and do not blame anyone for it. After I die, I should be buried within three days,’’ the note, which contains derogatory messages, reads in part.
“There should be no WhatsApp groups to fundraise for my funeral. You should not even bother to think of coming to my funeral as a husband ….”
Neighbours blamed the suspected murders and suicide on marital problems that rocked the young family.
Mr Mbugua, also a social-media influencer for Kikuyu Benga musicians, told the Nation that he had been married to her since 2015 having done a church wedding at PCEA Church, Githogoro.
Before the night of horror, he said, they had been having challenges in their marriage and had cased over various matters with their respective families.
Mr Mbugua said his wife was an introvert who would always suspect him of cheating, a claim he always denied.
''I am not saying she should have killed my children alongside her niece but her actions seem to have been premeditated to kill herself and my children and leave me struggling and depressed,'' he said as he fought back tears.
“All the things you are referring to in the suicide note are not true but she has indeed written that. Sometimes men suffer in silence and I am not here to defend myself but I condemn her actions. We have sat down as a family and we have agreed on not meeting her demands like not attending her burial as husband and her being buried within three days.”
Area chief Barnabas Masakhalia said he knew the family well and that it was unfortunate the incident happened.
‘’It is saddening to discuss the matter because these are the people I know very well. What I would say is that let us engage in dialogue whenever there are issues or differences in the marriage. The solution is not killing yourself or innocent children or even killing someone else,’’ said Mr Masakhalia.
Gigiri Deputy Police Commander Fredrick Alata said the matter was being investigated and they will summon the man of the house to shed light on the intrigues behind the killings.
