A family from Kandori village in Ithanga, Gatanga Sub-County is demanding for justice for their seven-year-old daughter who died after allegedly eating a poisoned mango she had been given by a neighbour.
The family of the deceased Esther Muthoni, who was a class one pupil at Kandori primary school, claimed their daughter was poisoned by a form two student with whom they had disagreed.
Muthoni, the second born in the family of four died on January 19, this year and was buried last Saturday.
The girl’s father John Kariuki,a peasant farmer said on the fateful day his daughter had gone to fetch charcoal from their grandmother’s house at around 5pm, when the suspect lured her to their house and offered her a chopped ripe mango.
“Not knowing the fruit had been poisoned, she ate it and instantly started vomiting blood before she collapsed in a coma,” they said.
She had been accompanied by a younger brother who said he was denied the fruit.
“I heard screams by my son calling out my name. I hurried to the place only to find my daughter lapsing into unconsciousness. As she narrated how she was given a mango by the neighbour, poisonous foam was coming out of her mouth. Her hands were filled with juices of the mango. At the scene was my son and the suspect,” he said.
He said he took the girl to Assumption of Mary dispensary in Kaguku market which is a few kilometers away and added she was put on drugs but later was pronounced dead.
The father reported the matter to Ithanga police post and recorded statements and said a post-mortem report showed that she had died of chemical poisoning.
The suspect was arrested and later released.
The family fears that their deceased daughter may not get justice and accused police of taking long to investigate the matter.
They have called on the government to intervene and have the suspect brought to book.
“The family is poor and given the slow pace in which investigations are going, we fear the girl may not get justice. Why is the suspect still roaming freely?” said Rose Mumbua, her aunt.
Gatanga OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said they have opened an inquest file of the case and investigations are ongoing.
By Muoki Charles
