A 41-year-old woman was found dead in her house after she had been fatally stabbed in a suspected domestic feud in Kayole, Nairobi.
Catherene Wanjiru lived with her 10-year-old son, who was found in the house with the body long after the assailant had escaped.
The motive of the May 11 incident is yet to be known.
The boy allegedly told police her mother’s boyfriend, identified as only Sammy, had visited them on the fateful day before the body was found.
He added that Sammy was a frequent visitor to the house.
The boy said he heard the man and his mum quarrel before the said assailant picked up a knife and stabbed the woman in the neck.
He later fled the scene as the boy screamed for help in vain.
Neighbours rushed to the scene and discovered the body on the floor in a pool of blood.
Police said they recovered a kitchen knife that is believed to have been used in the murder.
The incident happened on the first floor of an apartment while the knife was found on the ground floor, where the assailant had thrown it.
Police said they are investigating a murder in the incident.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy and other investigations.
This is the latest death affecting women amid calls to address the trend.
A Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence, including femicide, is currently collecting views on the crimes.
President William Ruto named the team and said that increased cases of GBV and femicide continue to cause immense physical, emotional, and economic harm to individuals, families, and communities, exacerbating gender inequalities and impeding sustainable development.
He further noted that there exist gaps in prevention, response, investigations, prosecution, data management, and survivor support systems in GBV and femicide cases, and that such egregious violations pose a threat to national security as well as strain the nation’s social fabric.
The team will identify trends, hotspots, and causes contributing to GBV and femicide.
The Technical Working Group is expected to develop a report and submit it to the appointing authority.
Former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza is chairing the team.
by CYRUS OMBATI
