Man Murders Wife, Four Children With Ax Allegedly Over Lack Of Onion For Dinner

A 35-year-old Kenyan man hacked his wife and four children to death with an ax allegedly over lack of onion for dinner.

The suspect, identified as Paul Murage Njuki, allegedly murdered his wife, 38-year-old Millicent Muthoni, his daughters, 13-year-old Nelly Wawira and 5-year-old Sheromit Wambui and his sons, 7-year-old Gifton Bundi and one-year-old Clifton Njuk, at their home in the Kathata village of Gichugu, Kirinyaga County in Kenya on Monday, Nov. 29, authorities said.

After slaughtering his family, Njuki surrendered himself to the Kianyaga Police Station demanding to be arrested.

“I was shocked and ordered my officers to investigate him. He shocked my officers by telling them he had killed his wife and their four children,” Gichugu sub-county Police Commander, Anthony Mbogo said, local media reported.

The suspect told the police that he attacked his wife with an ax before proceeding to kill his four children.

“He hit them with a blunt object before cutting them. He led us to where he said he hid the ax but we did not find it because of the heavy rains. We are still doing more investigations,” Mbogo said.

After the shocking confession, police officers responded to the home and found the victims lying unresponsive in their beds, with multiple stab wounds on the heads.

All of them were pronounced dead at the scene. The bodies were sent to a medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

A preliminary investigation revealed Njuki had defiled his eldest daughter before killing her. He then hid the murder weapon along the river banks in his neighborhood, authorities said.

According to the police, Njuki has not revealed the exact motive behind the slayings. However, residents of the village said he had a heated argument with his wife after she told him they did not have onions for dinner.

Njuki was arrested and is currently being held at Kirinyaga police station, Mbogo said.

On Wednesday, Dec. 1, he was arraigned before a Gichugu law court. The judge remanded him for 14 days in police custody.

During this period, Njuki will undergo a mental examination to determine his fitness to stand trial.

A further probe is underway, Mbogo added.