Police in Mombasa are holding a man suspected of hacking his two daughters within the sprawling Mishomoroni area, Kisauni Sub County.
Details of the killing that were reported Thursday afternoon are not clear as the children’s mother whose name was not given was also taken in by the police to record a statement.
Reports indicate a third child survived the macabre killings because she was not in the house when their father turned on the hapless victims.
Sources said the victim’s mother was also not at home during the brutal killings.
Kisauni Sub County Police Commander, Mr Sangura Musee confirmed the incident and said that the suspect, father of the two deceased children aged four and six is being held at the Nyali police station.
” We are holding him as we investigate further. Once investigations are complete we shall take him to court to face the offence of killing the two children,” the police chief said.
Mr. Musee identified the suspect as John Maina saying that he was in the house when he allegedly committed the offence.
‘Police have opened case of murder and investigations are ongoing and the suspect will soon appear in court’ he said.
Police who were on patrol responded to pleas for help from the suspect’s wife who had returned as members of the public wanted to lynch him.
Bodies of the two children were removed from the scene and taken to the Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) mortuary for preservation.
Residents of Calvary village where the incident happened are still reeling with shock and disbelief at the brutal manner in which the two children were killed.
Those interviewed told the press that the suspect lived in a single mud walled house which he rented together with his wife and three children.
” He was a quiet man though he loved to drink a lot. No one suspected he could do such a thing,” Mr Stephen Righa, the suspect’s landlord said.
He added that the man had used a knife to stab the children and drained their blood in a container.
Another neighbour, Loice Zoka said that the wife and mother to the children had stepped out of the house to buy some merchandise when the incident occurred.
” The suspect called the two children one by one as he shared with them some mango fruits but turned against them and stabbed them. The third girl who was their eldest child was lucky as she was not near the home,” Loice said.
By Hussein Abdullahi
