Family of woman attacked with hot water demands justice

A family in Naivasha is seeking justice after their daughter was attacked by hot water and later stabbed in the abdomen by the husband following a domestic row.

The mother of two was left for dead with part of her internal organs hanging out during the incident in Kayole estate along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

The husband, said to be a former AP officer and now working with the Nakuru County government, has since gone into hiding with allegations that he was threatening the victim’s family.

This came as Gender Based activists raised their concern over an upsurge in cases of domestic violence in the town with informal settlements being the most affected.

According to the victim Pauline Wanjiku, they had family differences with the husband before he turned against her, leaving her for dead.

Speaking from her hospital bed, she narrated how the county enforcement worker arrived home drunk, boiled water and without provocation splashed it on her.

“I turned and the water caught me on the back before he attacked me with a knife stabbing me in the stomach and leaving me bleeding profusely,” she said.

The small-scale trader in Naivasha town said that she was rescued by neighbours adding that she was living in fear as the suspect who had also sought treatment in the hospital had escaped.

“He claims that as a former police officer, he has connections and cannot be arrested and we are seeking justice before he attacks another person,” she said.

The mother Regina Njeri said that they were living in fear as the suspect was free, adding that this was not the first time he had attacked the victim.

“I fear even getting out of the house as the suspect could attack us and am calling on police to arrest him as my daughter has undergone untold suffering,” she said.

On his part, Peter Njihia, a brother to the victim termed the suspect as very dangerous especially when drunk adding that he had been arrested in the past on several occasions.

“The suspect is a good man but when he drinks, he becomes very violent and he has in the past attacked me but the issue was resolved amicably,” he said.

According to John Kinuthia from the Naivasha Gender Based Networking Cluster, they had recorded over ten cases of gender violence since the year began.

“Most of these cases are coming from informal settlements in Naivasha and women are the hardest hit as has been the current case,” he said.