Joseph Maina in the dock at the Makadara law courts

By Gabriel Somba

A 55-year-old truck driver who hit his lover on the head with a wooden bar, causing a deep crack during a nearly fatal assault at her house, is facing charges of causing her grievous harm contrary to section 234 of the Penal Code.

Joseph Maina is accused of injuring Milicent Wanjiku at her house in Kamulu, Ruai Sub-County, Nairobi, on July 26, 2025.

Maina is accused of causing the injuries by hitting Wanjiku with the piece of wood and fracturing her arms while shielding herself from further assault.

The suspect is said to have caused a deep wound in the complainant’s head. But he denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Wandia Nyamu of the Makadara law courts.

The two had met at a club in the area to resolve their relationship issues, but did not iron them out, and Wanjiku left the club after inviting the suspect to her house to settle their dispute away from the public glare.

Maina arrived at Wanjiku’s home at midnight while rowdy, and entered. The gate was open as Wanjiku had told her house girl not to close it since she was expecting Maina.

Maina, however, became violent and Wanjiku took cover inside her house girl’s bedroom as Maina went into her bedroom.

She later followed him to the bedroom after assuming he had calmed down, before a commotion ensued.

Maina had picked two knives and was shouting that he must kill Wanjiku, as overheard by Wanjiku’s house help.

Maina had locked up the bedroom from inside after Wanjiku entered, and the house girl could not help her employer because her persistent knocks on the door did not yield.

She was making frantic calls to Wanjku’s relatives as the commotion ensued. Wanjku was pleading with Maina not to harm her.

The house girl told police during investigations that Maina, at some point, opened the door, and she saw Wanjiku telling Maina to consider that she had children she did not want to die and leave them alone.

Wanjiku was rescued by neighbours who found Maina ordering Wanjiku’s house girl to clean the complainant’s blood from the scene.

The survivor was rushed to a nearby hospital, where Maina was arrested after following her to the medical facility.

Police recovered the wooden bar used to assault the survivor and the two kitchen knives, all found at the scene while Wanjiku was undergoing treatment.

Prosecution counsel Eric Kyalo opposed bail and bond terms for the suspect, requesting the court to order a pre-bail report to understand Maina better to form a decision on how to set the bail terms.

Nyamu remanded Maina in custody until September 3, 2025when the matter will be mentioned for the social inquiry report.