Father kills two children before dying by suicide in Mai Mahiu

According to police and family members, the man, who is believed to be in his late twenties, poisoned his two children, ages six and four, by giving them tainted porridge before hanging himself inside his home.

The gruesome incident is believed to have stemmed from a domestic dispute with his estranged wife.

Emotions ran high on Sunday as relatives, friends, and neighbours gathered at the home to mourn the deaths of the two minors.

Mary Karuku, the children's mother, spoke tearfully to Citizen Digital about the harrowing events that led up to the tragedy.

She claimed that her estranged husband visited their home while she was away and took the children without her permission.

“I tried calling him several times, but he wouldn’t pick up. I reported the matter at Mai Mahiu Police Station after realizing he hadn’t returned with the children,” Karuku said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her worst fears were confirmed the following morning when she travelled to his home in Duka Moja, only to find that her two children had been poisoned and the man had taken his own life.

“I don’t know where to start. My heart is shattered. I’m appealing to our leaders and people of goodwill to help me bury my babies,” she said, struggling to hold back sobs.

Her aunt, Dorcas Njeri, described the incident as incomprehensible, saying the family was still in shock.

“We cannot understand what could drive someone to kill innocent children whose lives had barely begun. We are deeply pained as we make burial arrangements,” Njeri lamented.

Former Naivasha MCA Eunice Mureithi, who visited the grieving family, condemned the act, terming it “beastly” and urging individuals facing domestic or emotional challenges to seek help instead of resorting to violence.

“We know many families are going through difficult times, but murder and violence can never be a solution. We must encourage dialogue and mental health awareness in our communities,” Mureithi said.

A senior police officer from Duka Moja, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident, stating that the three bodies had been transported to the Narok County Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examination.

The incident adds to a growing list of domestic-related tragedies that continue to devastate families across the country, prompting renewed calls for counselling, social support, and community-based interventions to help prevent such heartbreaking deaths.