It happened again. A killer or killers tunnelled through a wall: A 30-year-old Nyandarua woman and her five-year-old daughter were murdered early Thursday morning in their Chekaleri village home, Ol Joro Orok.

Another daughter, aged 13, and a niece, 17, are fighting for their lives in a Nakuru hospital. The murdered child was in Grade 1 while her sister is in Standard 7.

The screaming went on for two hours but neighbours were afraid to help and violate the anti-virus curfew.

It was the second murder in a month and the third attack in three months.

The killers are yet to be identified, Nyandarua West sub-county police commander Isaac Ruto told the Star.

Ruto said a police officer on patrol at Ol Joro Orok Trading Centre heard screams at 3.40am from the village. He and colleagues rushed to the scene and found that Peter Muturi Kamau's home had been invaded.

A hole had been dug through the wall of the house where Eunice Muthoni Ndung’u, Linet Njeri, 5, and the other children were sleeping.

Muthoni and the child died of head injuries at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital.

The other girls had head and mouth injuries.

Ruto said Muthoni was living in her parents' home after separating from her husband a month ago.

He said a blood-stained metal bar was found at the home, seven kilometres from Ol Joro Orok police station.

Area assistant chief Henry Murage said the government will ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

Villager Ruth Njeri said screaming went on for over two hours until the police siren was heard. She said it was difficult for the neighbours to respond due to curfew.

“We don’t know how long the police will take to arrest these criminals. Last year, over 10 women and girls were killed and none of the killers has been arrested,” she said.

The subcounty police boss said the victims were not raped or defiled and nothing was stolen from the house.

This is the second 'tunnelling' murder in Gatumbiro in less than a month. On March 25, Alice Wanjiru, 23, was killed after a criminal or criminals dug a hole at the base of the house to enter her bedroom. She had one daughter.

The police boss said eight witnesses have recorded statements and the file will be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a similar 'burrowing' attack five months ago, a 57-year-old mother of 10 and her 15-year-old daughter escaped death after criminals dug a hole at the base of their house at Kwa Major Village in Weru, Ol Joro Orok, and entered the bedroom.

They were hit with blunt objects and suffered knife injuries to the head.

These 'tunnel murders' have spread fear among residents who suspect a serial killer is targeting women. No arrests have been made.

“We are very afraid, it appears there is a criminal gang determined to kill all our women and girls, yet the police appear inept,” an elder who requested anonymity said.

Ruto dismissed the serial killer theory saying the crimes are isolated cases.

Other unsolved murders of women and girls in Ol Joro Orok are that of county community development assistant officer Mary Mondothi who was raped and murdered in November last year. Another was that of an eight-year-old pupil from Gichaka who was defiled and murdered in February.

Edited by R.Wamochie