Ruiru businessman was stabbed for insulting butcher’s mum

 When Machua’s wife was called by a friend and informed of what had happened, she disconnected the phone in shock Photo: Courtesy

The stabbing to death of businessman Moses Machua Kamande in a quarrel with a butcher in Ruiru town in 2015 has left many residents in shock.

Butcher Samuel Kariuki Kande was charged with the death of the businessman after Kamau Kanyingi, the owner of Backyard Thailand Village and a friend of Machua, testified that he had been drinking with Machua and other friends when “after a few drinks Machua woke up and left and I thought maybe he had gone to the toilet but he never came back.

I heard a commotion and rushed to see what was going on, only to find Kande saying ‘umeingiza mamangu hapa na hauzangi nyama.’”

Machua was stabbed and he asked Kanyingi to take him to hospital, but he took him to Ruiru Police Station and later to Ruiru Sub-district Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Investigating Officer Duncan Odhiambo testified that the knife was recovered at the scene of crime and that “we found out that his real name was Samuel Kariuki Kande from his driving licence and identification card. We also suspected that he washed the blood stains because he was the one who was left at the scene of crime when the deceased was taken to hospital.”

Patrick Njoroge, an employee at Backyard Thailand Village and a witness caused laughter when asked by the judge to differentiate between fighting and quarrelling.

“We found Machua on the ground claiming that ‘he has stabbed me,’ while holding his chest, but he never said who had stabbed him.”

Njoroge told the court that, “We closed the business when the deceased was taken to hospital and the knife was left inside the butchery.”

When Machua’s wife was called by a friend and informed of what had happened, she disconnected the phone in shock.

Njoroge added that, “She later called back to confirm if it was true, then I went to Ndumberi for funeral arrangements and later to the police station to record a statement.”

The case continues on October 26.