By Mary Papenfuss
Horrified female supporters have rushed to the aid of a Kenyan woman whose hands were chopped off by her husband because she has not been able to conceive a child, according to law enforcement authorities.
Jackline Mwende's husband, Stephen Ngila, attacked her in their home with a machete, officials said.
The brutal assault also left her with severe head injuries. Mwende was rushed to a local hospital and Ngila was arrested the following day.
The hospital said It was Ngila who had "reproductive issues," not his 27-year-old wife, and that he was unable to impregnate her over seven years of marriage, reported the Daily Nation.
"It is really sad that something of this nature would happen in this time and age," Kenyan member of parliament Joyce Wanjala Lay told CNN. "Having a child is a shared responsibility. A woman without a child is still a woman and even more stronger."
The attack has been condemned by politicians, activists and citizens across Kenya. Mwende is recouperating at her mother's home about an hour from the capital, Nairobi, and receiving visits from several women's rights activists.
"I know we are better than this depraved sexist violence," said local activist Irungu Houghton. "A society that can't keep all safe means no one is safe."
The Bangladeshi embassy in Kenya has promised to provide Mwende with medication for at least three months, while activists have offered to provide her with prosthetic limbs, a $250 (£190) allowance per month, transport to therapy, and business skills to help prepare her for life after recovery.
The local county government of Machakos, where Mwende lives, will cover all medical expenses, including for therapy, for a year. It's also paying her an additional monthly stipend and will cover the costs for a housekeeper.
"We are touched by her situation and condemn this beastly act," Lilian Ng'ang'a, wife of the governor of Machakos, told the Star after visiting Mwende at her mother's home.
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