Kilifi: Police hunt for man, 22, over alleged murder of 26-year-old wife

A family in Kilifi County is demanding justice for their kin who was allegedly murdered by her husband.

The deceased, Risper Chizi, had apparently gone to her matrimonial home "briefly" where she lived with her 22-year-old husband Hillary Tsuma. They lived in Mwanzai/Tsagwa in Kaloleni. Chizi was four months pregnant.

Kaloleni Sub-County Police Commander Alexander Makau confirmed the incident, saying her naked body was found covered with banana leaves on the private parts.

Preliminary investigations revealed that she had knife stab wounds on the back and bruises on her knees and thighs. Police suspect the man could have tied her up before strangling her to death.

The deceased had allegedly temporarily left for her maternal home in Mwarakaya village over claims of assault by her husband.

The family spokesperson Jimmy Ngala said Chizi complained of constant beatings by her husband.

"My sister disclosed that her husband had developed a habit of coming home late at night and starting to demand sex and would beat her every time she declined as she was expectant. She had come home because of the husband’s beatings," Ngala told Nation.

Her husband allegedly visited Chizi last Thursday in the company of some relatives to address the dispute. They were however sent away and advised to return on Sunday when the deceased was "at ease for further talks."

On Friday however, the couple met when Tsuma attended a funeral in the neighborhood. The deceased requested to fetch some of her belongings from their family home, located about two kilometres away from her maternal home.

Her husband offered to accompany her, and they were ferried on a motorbike by the deceased’s younger brother. The family spokesperson claims it was supposed to be a short stopover which turned into hours of waiting.

“My brother did not know what was happening. He kept on waiting until he decided to go. He imagined that the couple could have agreed to spend the night together. It was until Saturday 1 pm while at the burial of a neighbour that an announcement of an unknown female body found was made asking the public to help identify her,” he added.

Police have since launched a manhunt for the deceased’s husband who is said to be on the run since Friday.

The body is lying at Kilifi County Referral Hospital Mortuary awaiting postmortem.

The victim’s family suspects the husband had planned it all. “We want justice for our sister. We suspect it was a set-up and that there was a group of people involved in killing our sister. The husband could not have done it by himself,” Ngala added.