This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
Published on July 12, 2019, a tragic incident unfolded in Thome estate, Nairobi, where a woman believed to have murdered her family before killing herself was described as violent and had an affair with a local boda boda rider.
According to Geoffrey Mwangi, the Nyumba Kumi Chairman for Thome Five estate, the deceased woman's husband, Joseph Gitau, had reported repeatedly that his wife, Joyce Wanjiru, physically assaulted him during domestic disputes.
Mr. Mwangi stated that Ms. Wanjiru was having an affair with a boda boda rider in their neighborhood, which led him to expel the rider from the area to protect Gitau's marriage.
"He had reported even to the chief about their marital problems, including that the wife was abusing him. But he always discouraged any effort to have another party help mediate between them," Mwangi said, describing Gitau as a calm and friendly man who never took alcohol.
However, Wanjiru's father, Joseph Maina Mbuthia, denied the affair allegations, stating that the couple's domestic challenges started when their roadside food vending business collapsed.
"This has really hurt me. I did not expect this will ever happen to me," Maina said, adding that he is a casual laborer with a small income but cannot kill his family over financial struggles.
