Residents of Rwambiti Village in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, were left in shock on Thursday morning after a 40-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her boyfriend, who reportedly fled following the incident.
The woman, identified by her relatives as Millicah Wambui Wamugunda, was found lying in a pool of blood inside her house after neighbours responded to the cries of children who had allegedly been locked indoors.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with residents saying they did not know what may have triggered the alleged attack.
According to witnesses, the children’s cries raised concern among neighbours, prompting them to check on the occupants of the house. Upon gaining entry, they found Wamugunda dead, with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Lucy Watuiri Njue, a neighbour, said residents immediately alerted the local administration after discovering the body.
“When we opened, it was a shocking incident and we immediately informed the chief. They had been fighting with her boyfriend,” Njue said.
The suspect is alleged to have locked the house before escaping, leaving the children inside. Neighbours reportedly opened the house after hearing them crying.
Wamugunda worked as a barmaid at a local establishment in Rwambiti, where she had been employed since 2013.
The bar owner, Fredrick Muciimi, described her as a hardworking and caring woman who maintained good relations with both her children and customers.
Muciimi said he had known her for more than a decade and remembered her as someone who was dedicated to her work and family.
“She was a very hardworking woman, very caring to her children and even to bar customers. Customers loved her very much,” he said.
Her death has left relatives in Gitooini Village, Kangai Ward in Mwea, struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Family members identified her as a mother of several children and said they knew the man she had been dating.
They alleged that the suspect had been working as a guard at Thiba Dam and called on authorities to arrest him and ensure he faces justice.
Her father, Wamugunda Gakono, and other relatives, including Damaris, were overcome with grief as they demanded answers over the circumstances that led to her death.
“We want justice for our daughter,” the family members said amid tears.
The incident has raised fresh concerns among residents over violence in intimate relationships, particularly cases in which disputes between partners turn fatal.
Police in Kirinyaga East Sub-County confirmed that investigations had been launched and said officers were pursuing the suspect.
Investigators are expected to establish the events leading up to the killing and determine the suspect’s whereabouts as the search continues.
The children who were reportedly locked inside the house are among those directly affected by the incident, which has left the family and the wider community mourning Wamugunda’s death.
Police have yet to disclose further details about the investigation, and the suspect had not been reported arrested at the time of publication.
