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Mum goes into hiding after strangling her one-year-old child


Police are looking for a woman who allegedly strangled her one year-old child in macabre attack in Riana, Kisii South sub-county.

The 23-year-old woman is said to have dumped the body in a sugarcane plantation near the Riana River before fleeing the scene.

She has since gone going underground.

According to Police Commander Agnes Mudambi, the incident occurred at Kirwanda village, Bonyando sub-location 9:30 am on Thursday morning.

“We received a report from the suspect’s brother Mr Miruka Manoti that the body of a child had been discovered in the sugarcane plantation,” said Ms Mudambi.

MARKS AROUND NECK

The police boss said the body had marks around the neck which were consistent with strangulation.

“There were however no signs around the scene indicating a struggle, meaning she was probably killed elsewhere and then brought to the scene,” said the police boss.

The suspect’s brother, Mr Manoti, told the Nation he first became suspicious of his sister’s whereabouts when he found she was missing from her family home that morning.

“I was informed by my children that my sister had left in the morning carrying a concealed bundle on her back. When I went to her room to check, she and the child were missing,” he said.

He said he and other family members set off on a search of her sister, which led them to the sugar cane plantation, where she had last been seen.

“We were given directions on her movements by neighbours and other villagers who saw her leave our home that morning. When we got to the plantation, we stumbled upon the body of my niece,” a shocked Mr Manoti said.

RECENT DIVORCE

He attributed her actions to the suspect’s recent divorce.

“My sister has lately been depressed and has been avoiding the company of other family members. The situation was most likely caused by her separation from her husband two months ago,” Mr Manoti said.

Villagers who spoke to the Nation expressed their shock at the bizarre incident, saying they knew the suspect as a loving mother.

“I never imagined she would do something like this. We always knew her as a loving mother and cheerful individual,” said Ms Askah Kemunto, a neighbour to the suspect.

“She was quite reserved when she came back from her matrimonial home but never showed any signs that she would want to harm her daughter,” said Ms Marcella Nyabiage, another neighbour who spoke to the Nation.

Police officers visited the scene and moved the body to Nyangena Hospital mortuary, awaiting postmortem.