This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
On Wednesday, a tragic incident unfolded in Karatina town, Nyeri County, where a man allegedly killed his wife and set her body on fire after a domestic quarrel.
The incident occurred in a single-roomed rental house at Jamaica estate, where the body of Grace Nyambura, a mother of two, was found lying on a bed with beddings partially burnt.
Area residents were drawn to the scene by smoke from the room and upon breaking the door, which was locked from outside, they found the body of the woman and the bed on fire.
Firefighters from Karatina were called to the scene and arrived in time to put out the fire.
Investigations revealed that the woman's body had a fresh stab wound on the head, and some blood-stained clothes and bedding were strewn around the room.
The assailant, identified as Simon Nderitu, fled the scene, prompting a manhunt to be launched.
The couple rented the room two months ago, according to their landlady, Ms Esther Nyambura Wachira.
Neighbours claimed the couple had constant quarrels that usually led to fights, and it was suspected that the grandmother of the two children had taken them away to a safe place following the bad blood between the husband and wife.
Mathira East Police Boss James Barasa and Chief Detective Jackson Muriuki are leading investigations into the murder.
