Police in Konoin, Bomet County, have arrested a woman accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter and injuring her 14-year-old son after reportedly attacking them for allegedly stealing fruits from a neighbor’s farm.
According to police reports, the incident occurred when the woman allegedly beat her children severely after finding out they had taken fruits without permission.
She later took them to Longisa Hospital for medical treatment, but the daughter succumbed to her injuries while her brother sustained only minor wounds.
Confirming the incident, Konoin Police Commander Mohamed Godana said the mother used a stick during the assault and was later taken into custody following investigations.
“The mother used a stick to beat the child, and the girl was taken to the hospital but did not survive. The following day, the child passed away. That’s when we received the report and visited Longisa Hospital to get the facts about the matter, after which we arrested the mother,” he said.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage and reflection among residents, who have called for more humane methods of disciplining children.
Betty, a resident of Taboini, emphasized the importance of communication rather than physical punishment.
“When disciplining children, you should not beat them with a cooking stick or a cane. Sometimes, we just need to talk to our children so that they can listen, it’s not necessary to hit a child the way you want,” she said.
This comes months after a tragic accident along the Nairobi–Namanga Highway claimed the lives of a mother and her child, sparking outrage among local residents.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, July 15, involved a speeding lorry that hit a motorcycle transporting the woman and her child.
According to eyewitnesses, the lorry, reportedly speeding, knocked down the boda boda, killing the two passengers instantly. The motorcycle rider sustained minor injuries.
Enraged residents, blaming the driver for reckless driving, pursued the lorry after it came to a stop a short distance from the crash site and set it ablaze.
The driver fled the scene as the crowd turned on him in an attempted lynching.
Locals lamented the rising number of accidents in the area, particularly along the sloped section of the highway, where speeding vehicles pose a danger to the community.
They attributed the carnage to the absence of speed bumps and inadequate road safety measures despite repeated appeals to authorities.
“This area has a large population but no speed bumps. We are blaming this accident, and any future ones, on the Kenya National Highways Authority,” one resident stated.
Boda boda riders and residents are now calling on authorities to install safety measures and improve road signage to prevent further tragedies.
“This road harms us a lot. There are no bumps. Every other day, we witness accidents. They need to improve this road,” a boda boda rider lamented.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Shalom Mortuary in Athi River.
