KIRINYAGA — The festive season, traditionally a time for family reunions and shared harvest, descended into bloodshed for one Kirinyaga household after a dispute over farm proceeds turned violent.

Police in the county have launched a manhunt for a 47-year-old man, identified only as Daniel, who allegedly brutally assaulted his nephew and his own octogenarian mother. The catalyst for the violence was a confrontation regarding the misuse of KSh 7,500—funds derived from leasing the family's rice field—which the suspect reportedly squandered on alcohol and entertainment during Christmas festivities.

The High Cost of a Good Time

The conflict traces back to a financial arrangement common in the agrarian belts of Kirinyaga. The family had recently leased out a portion of their rice paddies, securing KSh 20,000. In an economy where every shilling counts, such a windfall is often earmarked for school fees, farm inputs, or January survival.

However, tensions flared when 25-year-old Geoffrey Murimi, the suspect's nephew, discovered that a significant chunk of this money was missing. According to reports first broadcast by Citizen TV, Murimi accused his uncle of blowing KSh 7,500 at a local bar on Christmas Day.

When Murimi escalated the matter by reporting the financial mismanagement to the family matriarch—Daniel's 80-year-old mother—the confrontation turned physical. The suspect allegedly attacked his nephew, inflicting serious injuries that necessitated an urgent rush to the hospital.

A Matriarch in the Crossfire

The violence did not stop with the nephew. When the elderly mother attempted to intervene and question her son's actions, she too became a victim. Witnesses state that Daniel turned on her, injuring two of her fingers before fleeing the homestead.

Family members are now living in fear and frustration, lamenting that despite the severity of the assault and the clear identity of the perpetrator, law enforcement has yet to apprehend him.

• Suspect: Daniel, 47 (currently at large).
• Victims: Geoffrey Murimi, 25 (hospitalized) and his 80-year-old grandmother.
• Dispute Amount: KSh 7,500 (approx. 37% of the total lease earnings).
• Source of Funds: Rice field lease (Total value KSh 20,000).

"We are asking the police to speed up their work," a distraught relative told reporters, emphasizing that the attacker remains a threat to the community while he roams free.

As the family nurses their wounds, the incident serves as a grim reminder of how quickly financial strain can fracture domestic peace, turning a season of giving into a nightmare of loss.