The circumstances surrounding the marriage between Kiambu surgeon Dr Dennis Masoba Nyambane and his late wife, Mary Mwende Mutie, have come under intense scrutiny following Mwende’s death in an alleged stabbing incident at their Kiambu home.
Nyambane, a 36-year-old consultant general surgeon attached to Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, is in police custody as investigations continue into the death of his 30-year-old wife. He was arraigned at a Kiambu court on August 10, 2026, with the court ordering that he be detained as detectives continue their investigations and undergo a psychiatric assessment.
Mwende died on August 7 after allegedly sustaining a stab wound during a domestic confrontation at the couple’s apartment. Investigators say she attempted to flee down the staircase but collapsed after losing a significant amount of blood. A postmortem examination reportedly established excessive blood loss as the cause of death.
The couple had reportedly moved into the apartment only about two weeks before the incident and left behind a three-year-old son.
Conflicting accounts of a troubled marriage
As the murder investigation unfolds, accounts from the two sides of the family have painted a picture of a marriage that had deteriorated considerably before the fatal confrontation.
Nyambane’s colleagues have come forward claiming that the surgeon had previously complained about problems in his marriage. According to his colleague, Dr Goody Gor, Nyambane had allegedly reported the domestic situation to police before the fatal incident.
Gor further claimed that Nyambane had complained of being locked out of the home, denied access to his son and subjected to other forms of mistreatment. He also suggested that the doctor had been experiencing prolonged domestic frustration.
The claims have sparked debate over what happened inside the couple’s home before Mwende’s death, with the circumstances of the relationship now expected to form part of the wider investigation.
However, Mwende’s family has given a markedly different account.
Mwende had reportedly wanted to leave marriage
Mwende’s mother, Mary Nyamweya, said her daughter had confided in her shortly before her death that she wanted to leave the marriage.
According to her mother, Mwende described herself as emotionally and physically exhausted and said she had reached her limit. The family also alleged that the couple had experienced frequent conflicts, which they linked to Nyambane’s alleged alcohol use and behaviour at home.
The revelations have consequently created two competing narratives surrounding the marriage, with Nyambane’s colleagues describing a man who allegedly experienced mistreatment, while Mwende’s family maintains that their daughter was also struggling in the relationship.
Neither account has been conclusively established in court.
Questions over psychiatric assessment
The court’s decision to have Nyambane undergo a psychiatric assessment has also become a point of contention.
Mwende’s family has questioned whether the assessment could be impartial because Nyambane works within the county health system and could potentially be known by medical personnel involved in the process.
The family has called for an independent process, saying they want assurances that the investigation and any subsequent proceedings will be free from interference.
Investigation now shifts to what happened before the killing
The competing accounts are likely to make the couple’s history an important part of the investigation as detectives seek to establish what happened immediately before Mwende was fatally injured.
Police are expected to examine evidence from the apartment, statements from people who knew the couple, previous reports allegedly made to authorities and communications between the two before the incident.
