A man on Kiganjo Estate, Thika town, on Tuesday night stabbed his two children to death and tried to commit suicide.

James Kioho, 32, stabbed to death his son and daughter aged seven and two, respectively, in the chest before he attempted to commit suicide by taking poison.

Neighbours who spoke to the Star yesterday morning said the inhuman act was triggered by a quarrel with his wife, whom he had left at their rural home in Naromoru, Laikipia county

It is unclear what caused the quarrel between Kioho and his wife.

"I met him on his way to the shops and he greeted me and wished me happy holidays. The kids were in the house playing and laughing. No one would have suspected he was planning to commit such a heinous act," neighbour Julius Mullei said.

Mullei said after a while he heard the children screaming as if they were being strangled.

"The boy was wailing painfully while calling out to his mother. The girl was pleading with her father to stop. We begged him not to hurt the kids, but our pleas fell on deaf ears. He had locked the house from the inside," Mullei said.

He said they forced their way into the house, but it was too late as the children had died. "They were lying on the floor bleeding profusely from their chests," Mullei said.

He said Kioho had lit a gas cylinder and put it under his bed. "We put out the fire," Mullei said.

Resident Mary Ndunge said by the time they got into the house Kioho had already taken what was suspected to be poison as he appeared weak.

"He was breathing and was lying in bed, which was on fire. He was still holding the knife which he had used to murder his children," she said.

Mullei said angry residents wanted to lynch the man, but he was rescued by police officers from Makongeni police station.

Thika police boss Willy Simba said the man is being treated at the Thika Level 5 Hospital.

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He said once he is discharged, he will be charged with two counts of murder and attempted suicide.

Source: Star/John Kamau