A woman and her one-year-old son were shot dead by a prison warden at Waita GK Prisons in Mwingi, Kitui county on Tuesday night.

The officer, identified as Constable David Nduati, immediately surrendered his firearm and confessed to having killed his lover and the child.

The deceased, Joyce Mwende Ngui, 30, and her son, Raji Mwende had just returned to the camp that fateful evening, according to Nduati’s colleagues.

Mwingi Central sub-county Deputy Police Commander Nicholas Mutua, yesterday confirmed the incident, and said the suspect will be charged in court with murder as soon as investigations are complete.

One of the witnesses, Sergeant Benard Mutisya, reported that the warden had been deployed as a guard at the watchtower where he reported at 6pm on Tuesday.

“He had been deployed on night duties at watchtower 2 within the compound and had reported on time at 6pm,” police said. Sgt Mutisya, who was the duty officer, said they heard gunshots from the warden’s staff quarters prompting them to rush to the scene.

Main gate

Shortly later, Constable Nduati went to the main gate where he surrendered his G3 rifle loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition and told his colleagues that he had committed murder, before he fled to unknown destination. 

It was, however, not immediately established why his colleagues did not arrest him even after his confession.

Senior officers, including Mwingi Central Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, visited the scene. 

In the house, the bodies of the woman and her son were found in a pool of blood and detectives believe the suspect fired six rounds of ammunition.

“The deceased had been living with the warden for a while now. She had, however, left and just came back that fateful day. The motive of the killing is yet to be established,” the police boss said.

The bodies were later transferred to the Mwingi Level Four Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem. 

Detectives collected the spent cartridges and the firearm, which will be subjected to ballistic analysis. 

Three rounds of ammunition, however, could not be accounted for.

The country has witnessed an increase in intimate partner killings, with over 25 cases reported in the last four months.

Last month, a Form Four student was stabbed several times by her boyfriend, who also attempted to commit suicide in Kisasi, Kitui County.

The deceased, aged 17, was then sitting Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations while the boyfriend, aged 27, is a student at Wote Technical College.