Wamuzi News Ke
A harrowing incident has sent shockwaves through the community of Mai Mahiu in Nakuru County, after a man allegedly poisoned his two children and then took his own life following a domestic dispute with his estranged wife.
According to investigators, the suspect — a man believed to be in his late twenties — is accused of collecting the children from their mother’s residence without her consent. The children’s mother, Mary Karuku, reported receiving no communication from him before discovering the bodies the following day.
When his wife failed to contact him or locate the children, she reported the matter at the Mai Mahiu police station. Subsequently, investigators found the lifeless bodies of both children and their father at their home. The remains have been transferred to the mortuary at Naivasha County Hospital pending a post-mortem and toxicology tests to determine the exact substance used.
In a public plea, Mary Karuku and other family members have appealed to local leaders and the broader community for assistance in arranging burial rites for the children and their father. “I would like to ask the … governor and MP to help me bury my children safely,” Karuku said.
Police say they are investigating the full circumstances of the tragedy — including the motive tied to the domestic argument — and have not ruled out that prolonged familial stress or mental strain may have played a role. The incident echoes a 2025 case in Homa Bay in which a police officer killed his own children and committed suicide following marital and work-related pressures.
This deeply disturbing event highlights the hidden crisis of domestic strife and mental health breakdowns within Kenyan families. When an individual takes the lives of loved ones and their own life, it fractures not just the immediate family, but the sense of security and community cohesion. The fact that suspected poisoning was involved raises urgent public-health and safety questions.
