Fear and grief engulfed Jambo area in Karatina town, Nyeri County Thursday afternoon after a mother, her daughter and a niece were found murdered inside their shop.
The three were discovered after the mother who operates the shop took too long to attend to waiting customers at her shop.
“We received information that a lady and two young girls aged about ten years had been murdered in this shop,” said Nyeri County Police Commander Adriel Nyange.
Nyange says preliminary investigations indicate that the three were strangled to death.
He added that the woman was last seen at around 11am basking in the sun outside her shop only for the three bodies to be discovered at 1.00 pm.
“She was not seen again after11am and customers were asking for her whereabouts prompting a neighbour to send her niece to go and check on her,” Nyange added.
Nyange said the girl did not come back again as well pointing to a possibility that the murderer was still inside the shop when the girl arrived to check on her aunt.
The police boss said they have arrested one suspect who is helping them with investigations, and appealed to members of the public to volunteer any vital information that could assist the police.
Neighbours interviewed said that somebody called the lady and informed her that there was a guest who wanted to see her and that was the last time she was seen alive.
The bodies were moved to Karatina Hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem.