Son kills father in quarrel over packet of wheat flour in Murang’a

A man was slashed to death by his son during a quarrel over a packet of wheat flour in Mutheru village, Kandara sub-county in Murang'a.

Peter Kinyanjui Kago, 75, was slashed three times on Tuesday after he questioned his son about sneaking into his room to steal the flour. The man still depended on his father for provisions despite being allocated land with tea bushes for his sustenance.

A 2kg packet of wheat flour sells at Sh150 locally.

Close relatives said the elderly man spotted his son walking from his house and demanded to know what he was carrying. He grabbed him and a packet of wheat flour fell to the ground.

Mary Waithira, the deceased's daughter, said she regretted buying her father the flour that later cost him his life.

"It is a shock that the gift I brought my father has caused his death," said Waithera who had travelled from her matrimonial home in Kangari to deliver the flour on Saturday.

After the attack, the assailant walked to the local Nyumba Kumi community policing official where he narrated what had happened. He was later arrested.

The old man was rushed to Thika District Hospital where he died from his injuries.

Murang'a acting Police Commander Johnstone Limo said the suspect was undergoing interrogation.

"We recovered a panga that was used in the attack at the scene. The suspect will be arraigned and charged with murder once we complete our investigations," said Mr Limo.

He advised families to use dialogue to resolve domestic disputes instead of resorting to violence.

Elsewhere, a man allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter in Gilgil on Tuesday morning after his wife turned down his request to drink their children's milk.

The angry man reportedly hit his step-daughter with a hammer before pushing her one-year old sister into a fire.

Cases of tragic family feuds involving food have been witnessed before.

On August 20 last year, a man in Industrial Area, Nairobi, was reported to have killed his son following a quarrel with his wife about food.

Police said the man used a sweater to strangle the child after which he hid the body under a heap of clothes.

Last month, police arrested a man in Mombasa after he clobbered his wife to death for squandering Sh500 that had been set aside to buy food.