Hunt for man who fatally stabbed friend in Gichugu

Derrick Mwai died while being rushed to Kerugoya Hospital after sustaining a stab wound to the chest.

According to his family, the incident occurred about a week ago following an altercation between Mwai and a friend at the shopping centre.

Mwai's father, James Mwai, said the two men had been together at the shopping centre at about 7pm and were involved in a confrontation that appeared to have ended.

He said he was later informed that Mwai was stabbed at about 9pm as he and a boda boda rider were heading home.

"My son and the suspect were friends. I was told by the boda boda rider that they were stopped as they were going home. That's when my son was stabbed and the suspect fled," he said.

The family has identified the man they say was involved in the incident as Franklin Mwangi Kinyua. They said he had not been located by the time of the burial and was being sought in connection with the death.

Mwai's uncle, Paul Ngungu, said the boda boda rider raised an alarm after the stabbing, prompting efforts to rush the victim to Kerugoya Hospital.

"He was rushed to Kerugoya Hospital, but he died while on the way," Ngungu said.

A postmortem examination conducted on Wednesday confirmed that Mwai had sustained a stab wound to the chest, according to the family.

Ngungu said residents and detectives from Kirinyaga East Sub-County were searching for the suspect as investigations continued.

The circumstances leading to the stabbing remain under investigation, with the family and residents saying the two men had earlier been involved in a confrontation at the shopping centre.

Mwai will be buried today at Gatunguru village in Kirinyaga County.