Elderly Woman Brutally Slain
Grief has swept through Miriru village in the Murinduko area of Mwea-East sub-county, Kirinyaga County, following the tragic sexual assault and murder of an 80-year-old grandmother near a local bar at Gacuria shopping centre.
Her sons, Joseph Gitari and Jamleck Gachoki, reported that the lifeless body of their mother, Josephine Wangui Muriuki, was found just about 45 meters away from the bar where she had been enjoying a drink.
“It is unthinkable. I could not believe it until I called my sister to come and cover her with a lesso,” said a distraught Gitari.
A close friend of the deceased, Lydiah Wangithi, said they had been together on Sunday evening before parting ways.
“She bought a piece of meat before entering Gitari’s bar but never came back for it. Later, I found her murdered, with her body badly injured and her eyes gouged out by a sharp object,” Wangithi recounted.
The deceased’s granddaughter, Caroline Wanjiku Njine, described her grandmother as a peaceful woman who had no quarrels with anyone in the village.
“We want the bar owner to explain what happened. Even when the body was being taken to the mortuary, the area chief and assistant were nowhere to be seen,” said another grandchild, Anthony Chomba.
Gachoki, another son, suspected that his mother had been raped and tortured by more than one person.
“How come even the bar owner did not hear her cries for help?,” he said.
esidents of Miriru village have now called on the Kirinyaga County security team to intervene and address the mushrooming bars in the area, which they say are fueling crime.
“One of these bars was closed after a similar incident, but it was later reopened without any explanation. We want answers,” said resident Muchina.
Detectives from the Wang’uru Police Station have arrived at the scene and confirmed that they are actively investigating the matter. They are calling on local residents and family members to lend their support in the quest to bring those responsible to justice.
Elderly Woman Brutally Slain
