Tharaka Nithi man strangles, drowns father in row over land

A man reportedly killed his 77-year-old father after a quarrel over a piece of land in Maara Sub-county, Tharaka Nithi County, on Saturday evening.

The 46-year-old father of two children is accused of strangling his father and drowning him in a shallow pool in the attack in Kanini village.

The victim’s widow said her son, who went into hiding after the crime, had been demanding a piece of land in order to sell it.

“My husband had gone to borrow salt from my son when he strangled and drowned him, accusing him of refusing to give him land,” she said.

She said while strangling the father, her son wondered how he could borrow salt from him yet he had refused to give him a share of his land.

The woman further said she was unable to rush her husband to hospital because she had no money to hire a vehicle or motorcycle. She also said one of her hands is paralysed.

She said he died at around midnight and that police took the body to Chuka County Referral Hospital mortuary.

"Drunkard"

The suspect’s brother claimed he was a drunkard and that he had been threatening to kill their father if he completely refused to part with a piece of land.

He said he received the report of the attack while away and that he travelled back home immediately, but found their father had died when he arrived in the morning.

“My brother has been having issues with my father over land and has been threatening to kill him,” he said.

A village elder said though residents were aware of the disputes in the family, the incident shocked them.

“No one expected such an act. We hope he will be apprehended by police and charged.”

Residents linked the incident to rampant bhang use and the consumption of illicit brew in the area.

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