Woman kills her children, hangs self in Nairobi

A woman hanged herself after killing her two children and left a suicide note blaming her husband and his clandestine lover.

Their bodies were found in their single-room, corrugated iron sheet shack in the Vumulia slums near Doonholm in Nairobi.

In the note, addressed to her husband, Victor Muthoka, Felista Mutindi, 26, said she had decided to let him enjoy life with “Mueni”, who police believe is the other woman.

Ms Mutindi indicated that she wished to be buried at her parents’ home in Yatta, Machakos County. 

She also wanted her clothes and other property  transported to her parents’ home.

SUICIDE

In addition, she wanted  the note read out to mourners at her funeral, and even named the man who should read it. 

Ms Zipporah Ngotha, the leader of a welfare group in the slum who was among the first people at the scene, said: “The children were on chairs, with a length of cloth around each child’s neck,  while  Mama Kalondu (Ms Mutindi) was hanging from a length of cloth tied to a timber beam on the wall.”

Preliminary investigations by police described the incident as a double murder and suicide.

In their report, police said: “It was reported there was a lady who had committed suicide. There were three bodies in different points in the room.”

AWAY

The report identified the children as four-year-old David Mwenda and three-year-old Martha Kalondu.

The bodies were taken to Mama Lucy Hospital Mortuary.

Ms Mutindi’s husband had been away but neighbours suspected that something was amiss.

CALLING POLICE

They had not seen her or  her children on Thursday, and their door was closed throughout.

There are three other similar one-room shelters adjoining the one where the bodies were found.

Neighbours forced the door open before calling the police.

Ms Ngotha said that although she has handled cases of domestic problems in the area, she has never received any complaints about or by the couple.