DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Caroline Murugi a domestic violence victim who is nursing injuries at Kerugoya district hospital.
She is being dressed by Bernadette Wanjiku a clinical officer in the hospital.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
JANE MUGAMBI 11TH NOV 2010.
Caroline Murugi 24 and a mother of one is among many married women who are physically abused by their husbands in marriage.
She has been married for four years to her abusive,violent husband who has left her nurse knife stabs at kerugoya district hospital.
Narrating her story,she said that she remembers on Monday night when her husband attacked her with a knife at 8pm.
She said that the husband came home at 7pm and ordered for food which she took to the table.
Ms.Murugi went on to say that he placed the food on the table and poured it ordering for ugali and sukuma and since it was at night,she told him she would prepare it if at all that is the food he preferred best for that night.
After five minutes,he went down to where Caroline was waiting for the sukuma and called and ordered her to meet him so that they can talk.
On Arrival,the husband removed a knife from his jacket and stabbed her severally on the chest,shoulders and left her to die.
She said she screamed attracting neighbors who took her to Kerugoya hospital being unconscious.
She said when discharged,she will go back to her home in Kibugu Embu and leave the young boy under the care of the mother-in-law.
She said that the husband has left very many marks with blood clots after being beaten using a panga,and has visible marks on the face left after she was bitten in an argument.
Bernadette Wanjiku a clinical officer said that the two weeks she has been in the ward,she has witnessed three domestic violence cases.
She said that the cases are never reported to the police for fear.
Ms.Wanjiku said that like Carols case,she has seven knife stabs at the chest,two on the shoulders which are giving her a hard time to breath,talk,eat.
Lucy Nyawira a primary school teacher who has stayed in silence for a years.
She got married seven years ago and since then she has never had the joy of marriage. She said that the husband always threatened to kill her if she walks out of the marriage and for fear of death,she has no option but to stick in the abusive relationship.
Ms.Nyawira said that one time she rented a house in Kerugoya town but the husband came looking for her and apologized and they reconciled.
"Many women who stick to their abusive husbands for lack of an alternative and fear to be killed" she added.
Michael Macharia a doctor at Kerugoya district hospital said that many women are physically abused by their husbands but out of fear,they do not report the matter to the police.
He said that over ten serious cases has been reported in the hospital saying that the most challaenging one was of a lady who was suffered a broken skull after she was hit with a blunt onject on the head by the husband.
He said that for the last one month over twenty cases were reported at the outpatient department and two needed serious supervision.
He said that some women have scars mostly on the face,hands, and if the husbands uses an object,marks are left at the back of the body.
Dr.Macharia said that most cases according to their investigations is brought about by disagreements which force men to over react.
He said that most injuries are as a result of knife stabs,use of blunt objects or even rolling from staircases.
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