Man kills four-year-old son, hangs himself after fight with wife

A hanging rope. [Courtesy]

Residents of Buruburu Manyani Estate in Nakuru East yesterday morning woke up to a shocking incident where a father reportedly poisoned his son before he died by suicide.

The body of Dennis Nthenge, 28, was found dangling in the bathroom while his four-year-old son, Neville Michael, was found lifeless on their bed.

Gladwel Wambui, 26, wife to the late Nthenge, said that they had personal differences last week, which saw her leave their home alongside her son.

“We have been having differences at home, and when he threatened, I decided to walk out. My son and I have been living at my mother’s place since Friday,” said Wambui.

Wambui explained that on Monday, her younger brother took Neville, a PP1 learner to Nakuru Elite Education Center and handed him over to the school security guard to escort her to class.

“At around 3 pm, I called the rider who normally picks him and was shocked when he told me my husband had informed him that Neville did not go to school that day,” said Wambui.

The distraught mother made countless calls to Nthenge, but none were answered, prompting her to visit their house.

“The class teacher also told me that my son didn’t get to class, which was shocking since he was left inside the compound. I went to our house and found it locked with two padlocks,” she said.

When the husband and son failed to turn up, Wambui reported the matter at Bondeni Police Station and was instructed to wait for 24 hours for an entry of missing person to be made.

According to her, Baby Neville had been tied on the hands and legs and poisoned with what she understood to be an insecticide.

“The house had a strong smell of the insecticide, which was also on my son’s face. He also appeared to have been suffocated. Nthenge had taken his life in the bathroom,” she said.

Wambui’s mother, Loice Wangui, has questioned the circumstances under which her grandson was picked from the school without the administration’s knowledge.

“My grandson was dropped off at the school. We don’t understand how he failed to get to class as alleged by the class teacher and the father picked him without the school noticing,” said Wangui.

Efforts to get a comment from the school administration were futile while Nakuru East Sub County Police Commander Samson Andanje said that the matter was now under investigation.