Child begging syndicate unravelled in Embu

By Joseph Muchiri

Embu provincial administration has unravelled cartel that uses children to extort money from town dwellers and passerby.

The police in collaboration with the children officer arrested 10-yr-old boy who was purportedly begging money for treatment and a couple claiming they were his guardians.

Speaking to journalists at Embu police station, the area chief  Rose Wambeti said the child had been dumped at a street near Posta with a paper bag for collecting money and a number of manila papers containing various diseases he suffers from.

“The boy was at the same spot from morning but no one suspected it could be deception. We passed by him at lunch time and saw a pink manila paper indicating he was ailing from polio only for us to pass again and see a blue manila showing he was suffering from kidney problems,” said Wambeti.

Wambeti added that during the investigation the boy who appeared physically challenged splinted into a race to flee but they managed to nab him.

A green paper bag confiscated from the boy contained coins and notes running into thousands of shillings.

The boy said he comes from Meru and that he was begging to undergo treatment for some unspecified ailments.

“The boy called his parents using his mobile phone and they arrived soon after. They claimed that they were his guardians and that the boy was suffering from multiple illnesses,” said Wambeti.

The claims is under the police for more investigation following the fact that many children are displayed on markets to beg for money with strategic notifications of different ailment.