The war at home: We need to open up to stem the violence
Detectives escort Lawrence Njoroge Warunge (centre) out of the Kiambu Law Courts on January 11, 2021.
What you need to know:
- On January 2, in Githurai, Nairobi, 65-year-old Joseph Njuguna and five other members of his family were found dead in their house. Detectives believe they inhaled carbon monoxide.
- Then seven days after the Warunge horror, a man in Laikipia County set his house on fire, burning himself and his two daughters to death.
January started with the chilly moisture of soft rains palming most parts of the country, then came the chilling familicides.
A familicide is a murder or a murder-suicide in which a perpetrator kills multiple close family members in quick succession.
If you have been following the news, the list is already long. Let me start off with 22-year-old Lawrence Njoroge, who turned against four members of his family and butchered them.
Police say Lawrence told them that his father, mother, brother and cousin had on several occasions ‘bad-mouthed’ him, and felt the best way to remove a needle from the haystack was to burn it down!
On January 2, in Githurai, Nairobi, 65-year-old Joseph Njuguna and five other members of his family were found dead in their house. Detectives believe they inhaled carbon monoxide.
Then seven days after the Warunge horror, a man in Laikipia County set his house on fire, burning himself and his two daughters to death.
Joseph Mburu, 42, blamed his actions on squabbles with his wife, who miraculously survived after managing to escape the flames. But what could be triggering this senseless destruction of human lives?
Collective responsibility
To answer this, let’s start with you. What is that constant thought that whirls in your mind when angry? How do you handle your anger issues?
My generation lacks someone to speak to and we weren’t taught to open up. We are a generation that has no bond with family.
Parents should check the kind of content that keeps their children glued to their phone and laptop screens.
In addition, it is important to hold those family meetings.
Parents should create time for their children and let them open up. You see, we have a lot of things to tell you and issues requiring your help.
And since this is a collective responsibility, both the young and the adults should learn to seek help instead of taking hasty actions. We all should make better choices.
Martin Echenje, 20, is a communication and public relations student at Maasai Mara University.
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