Man kills wife and then commits suicide after row

A man killed his wife, then committed suicide at their Keringet home in Kuresoi South on Sunday night, neighbours said.

Bernard Maritim, 32, a casual labourer, was said to have slit Sharon Kipkoech's throat with a kitchen knife before hanging himself.

Neighbours said Maritim had quarrelled with his 28-year-old wife, a teacher at St Joseph Kirandich Secondary School.

It was not immediately clear what the fight was all about.

"The two quarrelled the entire day. Their fight continued into the night. We later heard his wife calling for help. We rushed to the home to find out what was happening only to find Sharon's body lying in a pool of blood," a neighbour, Beatrice Kimutai, said yesterday.

She said they set out to look for her husband and found him dangling from a rope in one of the rooms in the house, which had been locked from inside.

Brutally kill

Ms Kimutai said Maritim killed his wife in the presence of their three-year-old son.

"We are all shocked. It is surprising he could brutally kill his wife in the presence of their child. He must have taken his life for fear of rotting in prison," said Kimutai.

Area Chief Nicholas Kering said the two had been living peacefully.

"On Saturday, Maritim visited his in-laws in the company of his wife and child and they had a good time before returning home. That is why we have all received news of their deaths with shock," said Mr Kering.

Police officers visited the scene on Monday and took the bodies to the Molo hospital mortuary.

Kuresoi OCPD Hesbon Kadenge said a knife believed to have been used to commit the murder was found at the scene.

Mr Kadenge said investigations had commenced. He asked residents to find peaceful ways of settling disputes.