A 45-year-old man has killed his wife after setting their house on fire while the wife was inside following a domestic dispute.
The incident that has been confirmed by DCI boss in Gichugu, Millicent Ochuka, happened at their Kithima village home in Gîchûgû Constituency, Kirinyaga County.
"The suspect has been arrested and is being held at Kianyanga police station," Ochuka said.
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James Wachira is said to have engaged his wife in a fight before overpowering her, hacking her and then locking her in their house.
Wachira is then said to have used petrol to set the house on fire.
According to an area resident, members of the public heard the woman scream in pain while fire was gutting the house that she had been locked in by the husband.
"They had fought earlier before the man attacked her with a panga. He then locked the house and set it on fire. We could hear her scream but after a while, her screams faded out," said a resident only identified as Purity.
By the time the public rushed to put out the fire, the house had already burnt to the ground.
The suspect has so far been arrested and detained at the Kianyaga police station as police launch investigations.
Ngariama ward MCA Erustus Ireri condemned the rise of gender-based violence in Gîchûgû Constituency in the recent past.
Last week, an Assistant Chief from Kiamugumo village in Ngariama ward was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife following a domestic quarrel.
"I would like to ask the police to conduct thorough investigations to establish the cause of these incidents," Ireri said.
In November, another man from Gîchûgû allegedly wiped out his entire family before surrendering to the police.
"People should seek counselling services when they are faced by various challenges in their marriages," he said.
Gîchûgû Member of Parliament Gichimu Githinji has also expressed concern over these incidents.
He says that starting January next year, he will be organizing counselling programs across the Constituency in a bid to curb the vice.
"I will join hands with leaders and counsellors so that we can at least talk to married people in a bid to stop the rise of gender-based violence in my constituency," he said.
