Man hacks step-son to death in birth certificate row with wife

Police in Murang’a have arrested 25-year-old man suspected of killing his step-son after a disagreement with his wife.

Mr Paul Njoroge confessed to killing five-year-old Collins Waweru Njambi after he picked a quarrel with his wife over who between him and the boy's biological father should be listed in the child’s birth certificate.

Mr Njoroge, who allegedly killed the boy three days ago by slashing him with a panga, claimed that he was very furious after his wife told him that she intended to register the her son using the name of his biological father, a move that led to their separation.

WIFE TAKES CHILD

His wife then took the child to her parents’ home in Ndutumi, Kiharu Constituency where she left him under the care of her parents and left for Nairobi.

The suspect, who lived in Thika town, upon learning this, and armed with a panga, visited the sleepy village at 8pm and hid behind a house as he planned how to attack.

Police said the suspect waited until the child’s aunt was about to close the door for the night and stormed in and wrestled with her as he tried to access the house where the child was.

AUNT SLASHED

Murang’a County Police Commander Josphat Kinyua said during the fracas, the suspect slashed the boy’s aunt on her left leg.

The woman escaped as she screamed for help from the villagers.

“The suspect was determined to kill the child because when the aunt ran away, he forced himself into the house and slashed the deceased severally leaving him for the dead and without touching a cousin of the deceased whom they were sleeping with,” Mr Kinyua told the Nation.

When the aunt returned with some villagers, they found the boy writhing in pain and with blood oozing from his head, neck and the back.

ESCAPED

The suspect had already escaped but left behind his identity card, a cap and a blood-stained panga.

The boy later died before he could be taken to hospital.

The police boss said the suspect was arrested in his hideout in Gatanga, adding that he will be charged with murder.

INTENDED TO KILL

“It is clear that he intended to kill the innocent child since he had carried with him a machete and did not touch the deceased’s cousin who is two years old. He will charged with murder,” the police boss said.

After the arrest, the suspect said differences with his wife drove him to commit the act, adding that he did not think the child would succumb to injuries.

“I was very depressed and furious but I was very remorseful after committing the act,” he said.

The police boss said he is perturbed by the increased murder incidents in Murang’a County and around the country and pleaded with aggrieved parties to always use legal means or the clan structures to solve their problems instead of killing each other.