The Kirinyaga police have launched a manhunt for an ex-convict who went into hiding after hacking his mother to death over a suspected land dispute.

Mwea East Sub-county police boss Daniel Kitavi confirmed the incident that happened on Sunday at Njoga village in Kirinyaga County.

The suspect is said to be among the 3,908 petty offenders President Uhuru Kenyatta pardoned during this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations.

Their neighbours who responded to the distress call found the elderly woman lying in a pool of her own blood and immediately alerted the authorities.

The area police boss said officers responded immediately to the information they were given but only found the lifeless form of the woman in her bathroom.

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Kitavi said the woman sustained deep fatal cuts in her head and from his report, the woman may have bled to her death.

"The woman was fatally attacked, as she had deep cuts in the head," Kitavi said.

According to Kitavi, the deceased and his son had several altercations over the suspect's demand to have his share of the family land, and the police suspect that could have been the motive of the murder.

"The man who was released from jail after being pardoned by the President had been demanding a share of the family land from his mother and the duo used to quarrel. We suspect the man eliminated the old woman after she refused to meet his demand," Kitavi said.

Kitavi said a probe into the killing has been launched to establish the exact motive behind the murder.

He said police officers and members of the public were on a manhunt for the suspect and once the suspect is apprehended, he will face a murder charge.

Apparently, the suspect who has a history of having wayward behaviours was the only child staying with his mother since all his siblings were employed elsewhere.

"All the other children are employed and the woman was living in the same homestead with her ex-convict son who was known to be having bad behaviour," Kitavi revealed.

Njoga village is mourning the death of the deceased who they remember for her generosity and friendly social demeanour.