This archive report was first published on 10 December 2019.
On December 7, 2019, a tragic incident occurred at the Likoni Channel in Mombasa, where a 46-year-old man drove his vehicle into the Indian Ocean, resulting in his death.
According to the victim's mother, Musangi Mutinda, her son John Mutinda had been suffering from years of domestic abuse at the hands of his wife.
Speaking to a local publication, Nation, at her Kyanika village home in Kitui County, Mrs. Mutinda revealed that her son had been recovering from severe burns inflicted by his wife, who scalded him with hot water just a month prior to his death.
'My son died out of depression and despair because of the domestic violence and marital anguish he endured at home. It is therefore wrong for his wife to insinuate he had gone mad,' said Mrs. Mutinda.
On the day of the incident, the victim stormed out of his house in Vanga Estate, Mombasa, at around 4 am, got into his vehicle, and sped off towards the Likoni crossing, ultimately driving into the ocean.
According to the victim's relative, Benard Kieti, the victim told his wife that he had received a call from his late father before leaving the house in a huff.
However, a visibly angry mother said the wife was the reason her son decided to take his own life because life with her was unbearable.
Mrs. Mutinda urged police in Mombasa to investigate her daughter-in-law over the alleged domestic abuse and release the findings of the post-mortem for the truth to be known.
