by Renson Mnyamwezi and James Munyeki

One person was last night killed and two others seriously injured in two separate incidents in Mwatate District.

Police linked the two clashes to wrangles over ownership of mining fields.

Unknown assailants are said to have slashed to death one of the victims at Kamtonga mining area.

The other victims, a couple who are also gemstone dealers, were attacked and critically injured at their Msau home in Rong’e Kati location.

The late Campbell Bridges. Photo: File/Standard

Two months ago an international gemstone dealer Campbell Bridges was speared to death under unclear circumstances as he returned to his Kamtonga mining camp. The renowned miner had earlier recorded a statement at Wundanyi Police Station about receiving death threats.

Taita-Taveta Deputy OCPD John Leshimpiro said assailants attacked the deceased as he walked home from a trading centre.

He said the body of the deceased, identified as Hasball Mwachia, was found lying in a pool of blood on a road.

In the second incident, gangsters raided Msau village at night and attacked Peter Kinona and his wife Victoria in their house.

The victims are recuperating at Moi Hospital in Voi town.

Mr Leshimpiro linked the frequent attacks to persistent quarrels common among the local mining community. He, however, said they were investigating the incidents but no arrests had been made so far.

Elsewhere, panic gripped Kibathi Estate, Nyahururu town after an elderly woman was killed and her head dumped in a pit latrine.

Villagers found the body of Lucia Mwongeri, 75, in her house on Tuesday evening with her head missing.

Unknown people killed the elderly mother of three on Kenyatta Day eve.

Mrs Annah Muthoni, the victim’s neighbour, said she went to visit her over the Kenyatta Day festivities but was shocked to find her body in lying on her bed without the head.

"I had gone to take her some goodies for the holidays at around lunchtime but found the body in the bed without the head," Muthoni said.

She then alerted residents who launched a search and found the head in a nearby pit latrine.

"Blood stains led us to the pit latrine and that is where we found the head. This is a case we have never witnessed before," she said.

Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi and Nyandarua West DC Paul Famba termed the bizarre killing as a shame, saying the deceased was among the country’s freedom fighters.