Residents of Kiganjo estate in Thika town outside the house where a man killed his two children before attempting suicide. [Photo|the-star.co.ke]
A 32-year-old man stabbed to death his two children at Kiganjo estate in Thika town, Kiambu and then attempted to kill himself by taking poison.
Thika Police boss Willy Simba said the suspect, Mr James Kioho stabbed his two children, a seven-year-old son and a girl aged two years.
Simba said the two children had deep wounds in the chests adding that the suspect tried to take poison after committing the crime inside his house.
The area residents who rushed to the scene broke into the house and wanted to lynch the man but he was rescued by police officers.
“The suspect was taken to Thika level Five Hospital and once he is discharged, he will be taken to court to answer to charges of murder and attempted suicide. We have sent police officers to fetch his wife since we cannot reach her on phone,” said the police boss.
A neighbour, Julius Mullei said Mr Kioho had quarrelled with his wife, whom he had left at their rural home in Naromoru in Laikipia County and returned to Thika with his two children.
According to the Star, Mr Mullei said he heard the children wailing from the house and suspected they were being attacked and he called for help.
“The boy was wailing painfully while calling for his mother while the girl was pleading with her father to stop. We begged him not to hurt the kids and let us help him solve his problems but our pleas fell on deaf ears. He had locked the house from inside,” he said.
Mullei said they broke into the house but found the children already stabbed to death and they were lying on the floor bleeding profusely from their chests.
He added that the father had placed a lit gas cylinder under the bed and that he intended to set the house on fire while inside but the area residents acted quickly and put out the fire that had already caught the mattress and the bed sheets.
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