This archive report was first published on 21 August 2021.
On August 19, Faith Makau's life was forever changed when she was brutally attacked by a 24-year-old man she knew from church.
According to Makau, the suspect had been asking her out for a while, but she had consistently rejected his advances.
On the day of the attack, Makau had left her rented house in Mwingi Town to buy airtime from a nearby shop. It was then that she met the suspect, who requested her help in carrying musical instruments to the church.
Makau agreed, unaware of the danger that lay ahead. Upon reaching the suspect's house, she noticed two kitchen knives on the table, but thought nothing of it, assuming it was normal for someone to leave cutlery in the living room.
However, her suspicion was triggered when the suspect locked the door from the inside and hid the keys. He then allegedly told Makau, 'I have been expressing interest in you, but you always reject my advances. Today, I want to prove to you that if I won't have you to myself, then no one else will.'
The suspect then picked up one of the knives and cut Makau's index finger. He then stabbed her in the abdomen twice, leaving her in shock and too weak to scream.
It was only when the suspect stabbed her for a third time in the stomach that Makau fell down and pretended to be dead. The suspect then left, but returned to find Makau trying to escape. It was then that she gathered the courage to scream for help.
Her agonized screams caught the attention of neighbours, who rushed to the scene and rescued her. Makau was taken to the Mwingi Level 4 Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.
Her alleged attacker, on the other hand, was assaulted by neighbours, who vowed to lynch him. However, police arrived at the scene before the angry mob could kill the suspect.
The suspect, who sustained serious head injuries, was taken to the Kitui County Referral Hospital, where he is receiving treatment. Police were forced to guard the suspect at the hospital to prevent irate residents from storming the facility to harm him.
