On May 23, eight-year-old Maxwell Ndumia passed by his aunt’s house within Barnabas Estate in Nakuru Town East after school.
The two had lunch before he left with instructions to go home and change his clothes.
His aunt, Ms Teresia Muthoni, said she had instructed Ndumia to proceed and pick up his younger brother, Brighton Maina, 4, a playgroup pupil at a nearby school, and then pass by her place.
However, Ndumia failed to follow the instructions, prompting Ms Muthoni to go to the school to inquire whether Maina had been picked up.
Boys attacked by neighbour
Teachers informed her that Maina had not attended school that day, so she went back with her child, not reading much into it.
Teresia Muthoni, the aunt of Maxwell Ndumia (8) and Brighton Maina (4), became overwhelmed with emotion during an interview with Nation at her home in Barnabas Estate, Nakuru County, on May 27, 2025.
Hours later, Ms Muthoni received a distressing phone call from a neighbour informing her that the two boys had been attacked by a neighbour and had been rushed to the hospital by Good Samaritans.
Ndumia, a Grade Two pupil at Mirugi Kariuki Primary School, died at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital while receiving treatment, whereas Maina is currently receiving treatment at the same facility.
According to Ms Muthoni, Ndumia succumbed to a deep cut wound on the neck, while Maina sustained cut wounds on his neck and shoulders.
Ms Muthoni said that after attacking the two, the suspect took off with a three-year-old girl, leaving Ndumia and Maina fighting for their lives.
The older boy is said to have struggled and walked to a shop a few meters away, where he sought help. He did not speak but pointed to the homestead as a sign.
Neighbours reportedly followed the trail of blood and found Maina lying in a pool of blood. The boys were then rushed to the hospital.
“It’s routine that he picks up his younger brother, but he did not go to school. The man pounced on them while they were playing. He attacked Ndumia inside the neighbour’s washroom and the youngest within the same compound. The washroom was full of blood, and some splatter still remains despite our efforts to clean it. We do not know what they did to deserve such cruelty. Our boy was selfless; he really tried to help his brother,” said Ms Muthoni.
Teresia Muthoni, the aunt of Maxwell Ndumia (8) and Brighton Maina (4), became overwhelmed with emotion during an interview with Nation at her home in Barnabas Estate, Nakuru County, on May 27, 2025.
Suspect fled with girl
According to Ms Muthoni, the suspect, a man well known to the two children, was later arrested in the evening after fleeing with the three-year-old girl to an abandoned construction site, where he allegedly attempted to defile her.
After noticing a curious woman following them, the suspect brandished a blood-stained knife and threatened to attack the woman, who immediately called for help. He was arrested.
The suspect was rescued by police officers from Pakawa Police Post from angry residents who were baying for his blood.
“Maina is able to talk. He told us what transpired, though sometimes his condition worsens. We are praying for his quick recovery. Their mother, who was away during the incident, has not yet come to terms with what happened. She can’t believe that the suspect, whose children they normally played with, would turn against them,” she said.
Family seeks justice
The family is now calling for justice for the inhumane acts against their children and wants the matter expedited.
“We just want justice for Ndumia’s death. He never wronged anyone. He was a prayerful young boy—respectable and very courageous. There’s no single day we ate food without him praying over it. He wanted to be a bishop. He was very close to our pastor. Death has robbed us of such a good soul,” said Ms Muthoni.
In a phone interview with the Nation, Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent James Waweru said the two boys were brought to the facility with different degrees of injuries.
According to Dr Waweru, Ndumia succumbed to his injuries while doctors were attending to him, as the cut affected some of the main arteries, leading to severe bleeding.
Maina was stabilised before being admitted to the facility, where doctors have been closely attending to him. He is in stable condition and is set to be discharged on Wednesday.
"Maina's injuries were not severe when he was brought in. He has been under close observation, and his condition is stable now. He has been placed under counselling together with his relatives who are attending to him," he said.
Nakuru East Sub-County Police Commander Samson Adanje said the suspect was arraigned in court on Monday under a miscellaneous application, where detectives sought more days to complete investigations.
He said the court granted the detectives 14 days.
"The suspect is in custody. Detectives were granted custodial orders. He will appear in court on June 9, where he will be formally charged in a court of law,” he said.
