This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, a tragic incident occurred in Nyeri's Kianathi village, Nyeri Central, where a 42-year-old man attacked and killed his 82-year-old uncle.
The deceased, Elijah Mugo, had just returned from the County Commissioner's Office where he collected the Sh4,000 stipend as part of the government's safety net program targeting the elderly and vulnerable persons.
According to Nyeri Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Mwangi, the old man had returned to his home on Tuesday evening when his nephew, Duncan Kanini, attacked him.
"When Kanini grabbed his cash, the deceased went after him with a panga, but he overpowered him and cut him into pieces before disappearing," said Mwangi.
However, the suspect was later arrested and is in custody.
In a separate incident, a 36-year-old casual laborer, Eric Mureithi, murdered his girlfriend Janet Wambui before committing suicide by hanging himself on an avocado tree.
Mureithi worked at the farm of a revered clergyman, Samuel Mwaniki, who had parted ways with his worker on Tuesday evening.
"When I went to the kitchen, I found the body of a young lady with deep cuts all over her body, and on checking around, I also found the body of my worker hanging on a tree," said Mwaniki.
Nyeri Deputy County Commissioner Joseph Mwangi has launched investigations into the two incidents and urged residents to exercise restraint during these harsh economic times due to COVID-19 regulations.
