A woman has been arrested amid reports she amputated her husband’s penis in Kirindara village, Meru County.
The suspect has been identified as Esther who got involved in a domestic quarrel with her husband identified as Meme.
Esther claims that her husband attacked her with a machete, and she grabbed it in self-defense, sustaining deep cuts on her palms. She claimed he had no idea she had cut off his manhood in the process.
“I’ve been sick for a long time, and my husband tried to send me away. He stopped giving me money to buy food even after he harvested Miraa because I refused to leave. I had nowhere to go because my father’s home is in the drylands, where there are many difficulties,” Esther said.
According to their child, her mother hid a knife under the bed when they went to sleep and in the middle of the night, she awoke and began assaulting her father.
“I saw her grab a bottle containing farm chemicals and force my father to drink it through his mouth. My father overpowered her and began assaulting her, while I screamed for help. I dashed outside and continued to call for help from my relatives, but only one responded,” Esther’s daughter said
She said that after her relative discovered the door locked with a padlock on the outside, she mobilized neighbors who were able to break down the door and gain entry into the house.
Esther claimed she had been sick for a year and that when she took medicine, the sickness got away.
She claimed that on the night of the incident, her husband returned from the canteen and began casting spells on her to cure her illness.
“I lost my breath every time he cast a spell, but I regained it every time I prayed. He kept casting spells at me until I felt I was going to die. He told me that I had to cooperate with him in order for me to be healed, and when I disagreed, we started fighting,” Esther said.
Michubu said he couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw one of the private parts on the floor. He described it as witchcraft, and said that there was no blood.
Assistant Chief Edward Mutalili said that he had never heard of such an incident and was used to hearing similar cases in Nyeri.
“It has now occurred in Kirindara, and I urge couples to seek professional counseling services when disagreements arise.” The suspect is said to have attempted the act previously but was unsuccessful, and if it had been reported to us, we would have found them a solution, said Edward.
Edward urged members of the community to report such incidents before they occur, noting that the government has networks in hospitals that provide free mental health care.
Jane, Meme’s sister, said that when she rushed to his brother’s house after hearing the news, she encountered a mob chasing after the suspect.
She said that she asked them to save her life and hold her until the police arrived.
Jane said that they delivered the suspect to the police station, where she was taken into custody and returned with the cops who took Meme’s private parts that were strewn about the house.
