Kiarukungu location chief Henry Kariuki said this is the first incident in the area. [iStockphoto]

Kirinyaga county police have arrested a 17-year-old girl for allegedly murdering her father in Ndindiruku village.

The incident occurred over the weekend, according to Mwea East sub-county police commander Daniel Kitavi, when the teen refused to serve her father food because her mother was not present.

According to police, the man arrived home drunk around 10.30pm and began demanding food from the girl, but she refused because her mother was attending a night church service.

"We've learned that the man was drunk at the time of the incident, and we're looking into why the girl refused to serve food and whether there were any other underlying issues between the two," he said.

Kitavi said the girl went to call her mother, who was at a church 500m away from their home. The mother returned home and served her husband his food.

The commander said the man was still dissatisfied and asked why his daughter refused to serve him food.

When he decided to punish her, a fight broke out, and she allegedly stabbed him.

"We've been told that the man followed the girl to discipline her for disobeying him, and it appears that the girl was prepared for him, and that's where she stabbed him," the police chief said.

He was rushed to the Kibimbi sub-county hospital, where he died while being treated.

Kiarukungu location chief Henry Kariuki said this is the first incident in the area and that they have recovered the kitchen knife suspected of being the murder weapon.

"The girl is being held at the Wang'uru police station and will be arraigned in court once the investigations are finished," Kitavi said.