Woman whose head, hands were slashed 31 times by husband blames her father

By , K24 Digital
On Fri, 19 Jun, 2020 10:56 | 2 mins read
Purity Muthoki (pictured) was on Saturday, June 13 physically assaulted by her husband of ten years. [PHOTO | K24 DIGITAL]
Purity Muthoki (pictured) was on Saturday, June 13 physically assaulted by her husband of ten years. [PHOTO | K24 DIGITAL]
Purity Muthoki (pictured) was on Saturday, June 13 physically assaulted by her husband of ten years. [PHOTO | K24 DIGITAL]

Purity Muthoki, the 24-year-old Makueni woman whose head and hands were slashed 31 times by her estranged husband on Saturday night (June 13), has revealed she was in an “extremely abusive” marriage.

Muthoki, who is receiving treatment at the Makueni County Referral Hospital, said she persevered her violent relationship for three years, hoping her spouse would change.

“When we were staying in Mlolongo, Machakos County, he used to physically assault me -- very often. In March this year, I decided to end the marriage, and returned to my parents’ home in Kwa-Muvai Village, Mbooni East in Makueni County,” Muthoki told K24 Digital.

The victim’s husband, she said, would visit her at her father’s home to plead with her for a reunion.

Muthoki now says her father is to blame for what befell her. According to her, every time she’d return home after being assaulted by her spouse, her father would urge her to return to her matrimonial home. Muthoki said her parent would reach at that decision after her husband visited him.

“Until recently, my father was in communication with my estranged husband, trying to find a way they would convince me to return to my marital home,” she said.

The suspect, Boniface Mutua, arrived at her in-laws’ place at 8pm on Saturday, June 13, and met his father-in-law, Julius Makau.

“They talked for some time. He, thereafter, through my father, asked if he could speak with me, but I refused. I had locked myself in my room at the time. My father left home at 9pm, after instructing my estranged husband to spend the night in one of the rooms.”

A few hours later, Muthoki said, she saw her spouse descending from her roof, leaving her shocked.

“Upon descending, he locked my door and came to the bed. He said only one mission had brought him to my parents’ home: killing me. He, thereafter, whipped out a machete, and started slashing me haphazardly, ignoring my calls for dialogue,” she said.

Her screams attracted the neighbours’ attention, who rushed to the scene.

The irate neighbours stoned the suspect to death. Police took his body to Tawa Sub-County Hospital morgue.

Makueni Governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana and his deputy Adelina Mwau visited Muthoki in hospital recently.

“Violence against women should not be tolerated in our county nor country. Women are not punching bags to men who feel aggrieved in their marriages. I have directed the gender unit in Makueni to closely monitor Muthoki’s welfare,” said Kibwana.

The victim, a mother of a 10-year-old son, got married to the deceased, when she was 14 years old, the age in which she conceived.

She is responding well to treatment, though her arms had to be amputated, doctors at the Makueni County Referral Hospital told K24 Digital.