Police in Gichugu, Kirinyaga county, are holding a 40-year-old man who surrendered himself at Kiamutugu police station after allegedly killing his wife.
Julius Gichobi Mambo is suspected to have killed his 37-year-old wife Ann Njoki Irungu on Sunday night after they quarreled over sale of beans.
Area OCPD Edwin Ndirangu said the suspect hit his wife with a wooden object on the chest, leading to her death.
He said Mambo accused Njoki of selling half a sack of his beans, which he had stored in their house.
Prior to the argument, Ndirangu said, Njoki had threatened to leave her matrimonial home over unresolved marital issues.
The suspect after allegedly killing Njoki, he took her body to their kitchen where it lay until Monday morning, when it was picked by the police after he surrendered himself.
The couple did not have children.
"The deceased had unresolved issues with her husband and as such had threatened to leave before the suspect discovered that half a bag of beans he had stored in their house was missing and that is when all hell broke loose,” Ndirangu told the Star on the phone.
“He hit her with a wooden object on the chest which led to her death. The suspect later turned himself to the police on Monday morning where he has been locked up as investigations continue."
The police boss said the body was taken to Kibugi Funeral Home as investigations to unravel more details on the crime continue.
Shocked neighbours flocked the couple's homestead in Gichonjo village after word spread that the man had allegedly killed his wife.
Neighbour James Kariuki narrated how he arrived at home and heard them quarreling for about three hours on Sunday night.
"At around 9.30pm when I packed my car in my compound, I heard them quarreling over the sale of some beans. The quarrel proceeded for some three hours because at 11pm they were still on each other's throats," he said
"Later in the morning, one of my neighbours called me to confirm whether I heard the couple fighting late in the night to which I confirmed. He pleaded with me to accompany him to the couple's home. I was reluctant at first but then gave in and upon arriving at the scene we saw the worst had happened."
Kariuki said the two have had domestic issues for some time and neighbours have many times intervened.
Another neighbour said she learnt of the woman's death when she was accompanying her child to school.
"I heard screams emanating from the couple's home as I was taking my child to school. Upon arrival, I saw my fellow neighbours who had responded to the distress call."
She said they found Njoki's body in the kitchen before the police came and took it away.
Village elder Alexander Mugo termed the incident "unfortunate".
He said the couple's marriage had been having frequent marital feuds, which prompted the local administrators to intervene.
Mugo said the suspect married Njoki after his first wife packed and left the marriage over "irreconcilable differences".
"I remember an instance when we advised them to separate because their fights were too much and bothersome to the neighbours. How they reconciled is what we are yet to understand," he said.
Mugo said alcoholism is one of the challenges that have led to increased marital problems, especially among the young people.