Tragedy as man kills woman who rejected him and hangs himself

Benjamin Karanja (center) is consoled by relatives and friends at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital in Nakuru, after viewing body of his daughter. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

The family of a woman who was brutally killed by a man whom she had earlier rejected was overcome with grief as they viewed her body at Nakuru Level Hospital mortuary today. 

Beatrice Wangari, 25 was reportedly strangled by 30-year-old Zacharia Njuguna after she rebuffed his advances and offer to marry her. 

The pain was too much to bear for Mzee Benjamin Karanja after viewing the body of his daughter.

"Why did he have to force love on her when it was clear she didn't love him?" Karanja mourned.

Njuguna is said to have later hanged himself in a maize plantation in Naishi, Njoro.

According to area chief, Chief Gladys Mbogo, Njuguna killed Wangari on Friday evening by strangling her using his belt. He then hanged himself with a rope few meters away within the same maize farm.

Njuguna is said to have kidnapped Wangari in Nakuru town and locked her inside his house on Thursday.

Frashiah Nyokabi said her sister called her on Thursday afternoon: "She told me Njuguna had locked her in his house after luring her, insisting that she becomes his wife before her phone went off."

On Friday morning Njuguna called again maintaining that he must marry Wangari who could be heard crying in the background. Njuguna said even though she didn't love him and he would do anything just to have her as his wife.