A Mwea East widow was killed over a Sh500 debt; her son's eyewitness identification led detectives to arrest the suspect.
Detectives in Mwea East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County, have arrested a 35-year-old man suspected of murdering a 36-year-old woman in Nderwa Village, Tebere Ward.
The suspect, identified as Samuel Mumo Ngari, was positively identified twice by the victim's Grade 8 son during an identification exercise conducted at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations offices in Wang'uru.
The boy, who witnessed the attack that led to his mother's death, told detectives he saw Ngari shortly after the incident wearing the same clothes he had on during the attack.
A Dispute Over Sh500
According to investigators, Ngari visited the home of Sarafina Wanja, a widow, on Saturday night demanding payment of a Sh500 debt he claimed she owed him. The victim's son said the suspect arrived at around 10 p.m. and engaged his mother in an argument over the money before leaving. He allegedly returned at about 5 a.m. on Sunday and attacked her.
After the attack, the boy raised an alarm and called his uncle, James Kimani, who rushed to the scene. Wanja was taken to Mwea Mission Hospital for treatment but later succumbed to her injuries.
Detectives said Ngari worked as a watchman guarding miraa farms in the area. Witnesses reportedly heard him tell Wanja, "I wish I had not given you the Sh500," after she asked him to wait until she harvested her rice crop before repaying the debt.
Family and Community Reaction
Family members, led by Kimani, said Wanja had been raising her children peacefully following the death of her husband two years ago.
Residents of Nderwa Village have expressed concern over what they describe as a growing trend of violence against women in the area.
"We are living in fear," said resident Flora Kari. "Another woman was recently killed in Kiandegwa Village over a dispute involving the sale of a radio, and now a woman has lost her life over a Sh500 debt. What is happening to women?"
Some residents have also questioned whether there may have been a relationship between the suspect and the victim beyond the alleged debt dispute.
"Are women supposed to keep being killed? We continue talking about these issues with both men and women, but it seems nothing is changing," Kari added.
Ngari is expected to appear before the Wang'uru Law Courts, where detectives will seek custodial orders to allow further investigations. He is currently being held at Wang'uru Police Station.