By Munene Kamau

A traditional herbalist in Kirinyaga East District, Kirinyaga is nursing body burns after his enraged wife scalded him with boiling water.

Speaking at his hospital bed, David Murithi from Riakithiga village said his wife attacked him moments after he retired to bed.

“After supper I went to bed leaving my wife in the kitchen. On enquiring what she was still doing in the kitchen, she claimed to be warming some water to wash the dirty linen belonging to our children,” he said.

He claimed to have spent the whole day at the family shamba guarding the maize farm from thieves.

The victim also remembered that the wife was very angry with him, before going to bed, after disagreeing with him over hiring someone else to watch the crop since his health was failing and he could not withstand the low nighttime temperatures.

Suffering in silence

He was woken up by an unusually high temperature and fled the house screaming in pain. His brother and a neighbour rushed him to Kerugoya District Hospital where he was admitted.

Murithi alleged he has been suffering in silence showing unhealed scars sustained from the beatings that he has received from his wife.

The herbalist, however, said that he was ready to face his assailant, who he has been married to for eight years, in court.

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They have three children, two sired before the two were married.

Murithi also claimed the wife had earlier stashed all her clothes and those of the children in a bag, suggesting she may have planned to flee from their matrimonial home after executing the assault.

The hospital administration said the patient has three per cent burns and was out of danger though he required specialised treatment. Sources at his home village had a different story and accused the herbalist of being amorous and a drunkard.

The neighbours alleged the previous da,; Murithi had come home and asked the wife to give him a blanket to use while keeping vigil at the family shamba only to emerge with a concubine who he spent the night with in the kitchen.

“When the wife went out in the morning to prepare breakfast, she found Murithi and his woman dead asleep and this is the genesis of the domestic quarrel,” one neighbour claiming to be in the know alleged.

It was also claimed that Murithi had won hearts of many women due to the nature of his herbal business, leading to a troubled marriage.