Gilgil man kills daughter over cup of milk

Kanorero Village elder James Kamau inspecting the house of Godfrey Muiruri who killed his six year old child and injuring another at home in Kanorero Village in Gilgil ( PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH)

Gilgil, Kenya: A man killed his six-year-old daughter after his wife refused to allow him to drink some of the milk meant for their two children.

He alleged to have hit his step daughter with a claw hammer after he was denied a share of the cup of milk that his wife had borrowed to feed the children.

The deceased’s one-year-old sister is nursing serious injuries after the man threw her into a fire early yesterday morning at Kanorero village in Gilgil.

Speaking at Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Nakuru branch, the wife said her husband demanded the milk but when she declined to give him, he turned violent.

“He wanted to drink the milk but I explained to him why it was not possible. But despite my explanation, he grabbed the milk and drank it and when it was over, he picked a claw hammer and killed my firstborn,” said the woman.

The one-year-old girl who sustained injuries on the face, back, hands and stomach is recuperating at Nairobi Women hospital, Nakuru branch.

And the suspect’s mother, Mary Wanjiru, said the two have been cohabiting since May.

“My son has been living as husband and wife with Nyambura since May this year,” she said.

She said she had left to attend a prayer meeting in the neighbourhood when she was informed about the attack. On arrival, she stumbled on the lifeless body of one of the children and another covered in a pool of blood.

“I confronted him because the wife had already fled and he told me the children were hit by the door. Meanwhile, the wife reappeared and informed me that they had quarreled over milk,” Wanjiru, 72, said.

In the now deserted room, dirty utensils, a broken jiko, spilled sugar and scattered clothes attest to the commotion that ended in the death of the child.

Mr James Kamau, a village elder, who described the incident as unfortunate, urged couples to dialogue in order to solve their differences instead of resorting to violence.

Inspector David Velela, the officer in-charge of Kiambogo AP Post, said the suspect was arrested as he attempted to flee and he is currently being held at Elementaita Police Post.

“Initial police investigations indicate that the suspect used a blunt object to hit the deceased on the head. But this will be clarified by a pathologist during postmortem,” said Velela.

He said the suspect was co-operating with the investigators and appealed to the public to volunteer any information that would assist to shed more light on what transpired before the children were attacked.