A college lecturer in Murang’a was hacked to death by unknown gangsters early Thursday.John Kamau Kimani, 48, from Kagaa village near Kenol town,

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A college lecturer in Murang’a was hacked to death by unknown gangsters early Thursday.

John Kamau Kimani, 48, from Kagaa village near Kenol town, a tutor at the Murang’a Teachers College was attacked at his home at about 3:00 am. The assailants also stole money and other valuables from his family.

According to his wife, Margaret Wangari Kamau, the gang of around 10 men attacked the family and stole Sh85, 000 and two phones.

Mr Kimani was said to have gone out of the house to answer a call of nature and to check on his dogs which were barking incessantly.

But as he was getting back into the house, the gang of young men pounced on him and pushed him inside and started demanding money from the man, who is also a businessman at Kenol town.

“The heavily armed men pushed us into our room and stated asking for money and I complied and gave them Sh85, 000,” said Mrs Kamau.

She said her husband protested that the gang should not be given such an amount and began arguing with them.

It was at this juncture that the thugs hit the father of two on the head with a blunt object and he fell down unconscious.

Neighbours got wind of the attack and rushed to the homestead only to find Mr Kimani dead.

“We found him in a pool of blood and discovered that he was dead, we did not find any member of the gang as they had escaped by the time we arrived,” said Mr Anthony Kariga one of the neighbours.

Murang’a South Police boss Anthony Onyango said the gang could have been angered by the man who resisted their demands.

He said apart from the money, the gang stole two mobile phones, one of which was used by the trader to transact M-Pesa business.

Mr Onyango said they were pursuing the gang but added that no one has been arrested.

“We are carrying out investigations and we believe we will apprehend those behind this heinous act,” said the OCPD.

Mrs Kamau said she suspected a man who had earlier visited the couple’s M-Pesa outlet to be part of the gang.

“During the day, the man had come requesting to withdraw Sh60, 000 and my husband informed him that he could even get more than that. That could have sold us out as the gang knew we had money,” said the distraught widow.

The body of the deceased was removed to the Bishop Okoye Hospital mortuary in Thika.

Nation