Machakos Residents mill around crime scene
By Kimberly Kalusi
A suspected love triangle turned deadly in Machakos County after a man allegedly hacked to death a 22-year-old woman before being lynched by an angry mob in an afternoon of horror and disbelief.
The woman, identified by colleagues as Susan Nyamboke, worked for a local microfinance agency in Machakos Town and had travelled to Mwanyani village to meet a potential client when she was ambushed by her estranged lover.
According to witnesses, the man attacked Susan with a panga, inflicting fatal wounds before attempting to flee. However, enraged members of the public caught up with him, beating and setting him ablaze just a few meters from where Susan’s body lay on the roadside.
Police officers from Machakos Sub-County, led by DCI boss Nzioka Singi and OCS Zachary Mose, arrived at the scene shortly after the 1:00 p.m. incident and launched investigations into the shocking double tragedy.
Colleagues of the deceased described her as hardworking and soft-spoken. Her close friend Jackline Wambui, who was with her moments before the attack, said Susan had confided earlier in the day that her former boyfriend had threatened to harm her.
“As we walked to meet a new client, the man appeared and greeted her. They spoke briefly before we continued. Moments later, he came back wielding a panga and attacked her,” Wambui recounted tearfully.
Residents of Mwanyani were left shaken by the gruesome killings, condemning the violence and urging couples facing relationship difficulties to seek help rather than resort to murder.
DCI officers recovered the murder weapon and two knives at the scene as they continue piecing together events leading up to the tragedy.
Both bodies were taken to the Machakos Level Five Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examinations.
“This is a deeply disturbing case that underscores the rise in intimate partner violence,” an investigator said, adding that counseling and community awareness were crucial in preventing such tragedies
