Police car./FILE
An off-duty police officer is recovering in hospital after he was stabbed while fighting off suspected robbers in Nairobi, as detectives separately launched a murder investigation into the death of an 85-year-old woman who succumbed to injuries from a suspected brutal assault in Machakos County.
The officer, attached to Mowlem Police Station, was attacked at about 4.05 a.m. on Monday while walking home with his wife after spending the night at a tavern in Kayole, police said.
According to investigators, the couple had reached an apartment in Mowlem when they were confronted by three men riding on a motorcycle and armed with a knife.
Police said the officer resisted the attempted robbery and fought back, forcing the attackers to flee.
During the struggle, however, he sustained two stab wounds to the neck and an injury to his left eye. Colleagues said he was off duty and unarmed at the time of the attack.
Responding officers rushed him to Mama Lucy Hospital for first aid before he was referred to Nairobi West Hospital for specialised treatment.
He was admitted in stable condition.
Police have launched investigations to identify and arrest the three suspects, who escaped after the attack.
Authorities say violent robberies involving armed gangs have been on the rise in parts of the city, with detectives intensifying operations to dismantle the criminal groups.
Meanwhile, police in Machakos County are investigating the death of an 85-year-old woman who died after suffering injuries believed to have been inflicted during a violent assault.
The victim, Annah Bukutsa Muasya, died while undergoing treatment at Mwala Level 4 Hospital after she was rushed there from her home in Kathama Village, Mwala Sub-County.
Police said the incident came to light after the woman's daughter-in-law reported the death.
She told investigators that on Saturday morning, the elderly woman visited her home and asked for a cup of tea.
While serving her, she noticed the victim's clothes were soaked in blood around the neck and chest, with blood appearing to ooze from her head.
When asked what had happened, the woman reportedly insisted that nothing was wrong. She finished her tea and returned home.
On Sunday afternoon, after failing to see her since the previous day, the daughter-in-law went to check on her.
She found the door unlocked and discovered the elderly woman lying on the floor, still bleeding from the head and private parts.
Neighbours helped rush her to Mwala Level 4 Hospital, but she died while receiving treatment.
Police said doctors later shaved the victim's head and discovered three deep stab wounds. She was also found to have been bleeding from her private parts, prompting investigators to suspect she had been violently assaulted.
Despite repeated efforts by relatives and medical staff to establish how she sustained the injuries, the victim did not disclose what had happened before she died.
Her body was moved to Machakos Level 5 Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.
Police have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and identify those responsible.
In a separate incident, an 80-year-old man collapsed and died while walking in Gakindu Township, Mukurweini Sub-County, Nyeri County.
The deceased, identified as Johnstone Maina Gichuhi, was found lying by the roadside after members of the public alerted police.
Investigators established that Gichuhi had been walking through the town at about 8.30 p.m. when he suddenly collapsed and fell backwards, dying at the scene.
Police said the body had no visible external injuries, suggesting there was no immediate indication of foul play.
The scene was documented before the body was taken to Mukurweini Hospital Mortuary for a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
