Police have launched investigations after a 50-year-old man killed his two children, before committing suicide in Matiliku village, Makueni County
This was after the three bodies were discovered on Monday morning, hours after the killings.
What led to the killings
According to the police reports, the motive behind the murder and suicide was a domestic dispute between the man and his wife.
The couple had separated, and the man was living with their two sons, aged 16 and 9.
How the man killed himself and his sons
The man’s body was found on the floor of their house with a deep cut to his throat, and an empty poison container was found nearby.
The bodies of the two boys were discovered a few meters away, each with their throats slit using a machete, leaving blood around them.
The bodies have been taken to the mortuary for autopsy.
A similar tragedy happened in Bomet County on August 3rd, where a 30-year-old woman killed her two children aged 12 and 3, before taking her own own life.
The woman had used a panga to commit the murders and then hanged herself.
Authorities had to force their way into the house, where they found bodies of the children in a pool of blood.
According to the World Health Organization, contributing factors include unemployment, academic or financial pressures, legal troubles, and bullying.
Other influences are prior suicide attempts, family history of suicide, substance abuse, and mental health issues such as depression and bipolar disorder.
