Couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide in Kitui

File Image of a Police Car
Police in Mwingi Central Sub-County, Kitui County, are investigating a suspected murder-suicide after the badly decomposing bodies of a couple were found inside their locked home.â¨The incident was reported on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Police officers visited a house in Mumbuni Location after reports of a foul smell coming from inside.â¨The three-roomed brick house was locked from the inside.
With the assistance of members of the public, officers forced the door open and found two decomposing bodies in the bedroom, about one metre apart.
Police identified the deceased as John Vundi Munywoki, 34, who was found hanging from the roof rafters with a sisal rope around his neck, and Mawia Vundi, 25, whose body was lying on the floor with visible head injuries.
Preliminary investigations established that on Saturday, June 27, John had asked his parents to look after the couple’s three-year-old child, saying he and his wife were travelling to nearby Kisovo Village to visit his in-laws.
When the couple failed to return and a foul smell later began emanating from the house, the parents alerted the area chief, prompting the police response.â¨Investigators have not yet established the motive behind the suspected murder-suicide.
The weapon believed to have been used in the killing has not been recovered, and no suicide note was found at the scene.â¨The scene was processed by investigators, and the bodies were moved to Mwingi Level IV Hospital Mortuary pending post-mortem examinations. Police investigations are ongoing.
Suicide cases have been on the rise amid efforts to address the trend.â¨Elsewhere, police have launched a murder investigation after a 51-year-old man was found hacked to death in Igembe Central Sub-County, Meru County.
The incident was reported on Thursday, July 2, 2026. Police responded to Mukululu Village, where they found the body of Moses Kathi lying in a pool of blood.
Police said the deceased had sustained multiple deep cut wounds to the head and back.â¨Preliminary investigations indicate the killing may have stemmed from a long-running land dispute involving the deceased and his two brothers.
The scene was processed by DCI officers before the body was moved to Nyambene Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for preservation pending a post-mortem examination.â¨No arrests had been made by the time of the report, and investigations are ongoing.
