Principal Secretary for Gender and Social Services Anne Wangombe When She Visited Ms Florence Wanjiku
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Church leader Elias Njeru Mutugi who allegedly stabbed his former partner 18 times and left her critically injured, has been arrested after turning himself in at the Menengai Police Station.
Accompanied by his lawyer Gakuhi Chege, Mutugi turned himself in on Monday morning after evading law enforcement since the incident occurred. The victim, Florence Wanjiku Gichohi, a businesswoman and mother of two, sustained grievous injuries including multiple stab wounds and severe damage to her fingers. She is currently receiving medical treatment at Optimum Hospital in Nakuru City.
According to Rift Valley Police boss Jasper Ombati, Mutugi is expected to face attempted murder charges for the violent assault that took place at their Kiamunyi residence. The attack unfolded after what began as a cordial business meeting at a local hotel in Nakuru. Mutugi had requested to meet with Wanjiku to discuss their jointly operated lands and property company, a business they had maintained even after their romantic relationship ended.
However, the situation turned violent when Mutugi allegedly launched a frenzied attack, inflicting eighteen stab wounds to Wanjiku's head, back, hands, and other parts of her body. Prior to the incident, the couple had built both a personal and professional life together, sharing two children and co-managing their property business. The severity of Wanjiku's injuries has left medical professionals concerned about the potential loss of multiple fingers.
The case has drawn attention from government officials, including Gender and Social Services Principal Secretary Anne Wangombe, who visited Wanjiku in the hospital on Saturday. Wangombe, joined by other women leaders, expressed strong condemnation of the attack, noting its troubling timing just after President William Ruto's public address regarding the rise in gender-based violence and femicide cases.