Residents of Kiawambeu village in Kiharu, Murang'a are in shock following the brutal killing of two children aged five and two and half years on Tuesday night.
The children were allegedly killed by their father James Gitau who allegedly fled after the 11pm incident.
This was after he picked his sons from his mother's house, insisting he wanted them to spend the night in his house.
Neighbours say Gitau had called his estranged wife, from whom they were separated, owing to marital disputes.
The five-year-old is a ECDE pupil at the nearby Ndikwe Primary School, while the two-year-old was under the care of her aunt.
Peter Komo said Gitau spoke for more than 10 minutes with his wife using his mother's mobile phone.
"After the call Gitau went to his mother's house, woke up the two boys and carried them to his room," said Komo.
Area assistant Chief Jason Hiuhu said Gitau's mother had protested the decision to have the boys taken by the father.
The administrator said after a when the grandmother could not trace her mobile phone looked into Gitau's house she found he was nervous and holding something.
"She went back to her room and after 30 minutes returned to Gitau's room and found it locked from outside she opened it and found the bodies on the floor," said the assistant chief who was among the first people to respond.
The suspect is still at large, with the police launching a manhunt for him, as the police moved the bodies to the Murang'a Sub County Hospital mortuary.
