Woman held over neglect of children

By KATHURE MUKURU

Meru, Kenya: A middle-aged woman is being held at Meru police station after her twins aged five were found locked in a house at Gatooro village, Thura location of Imenti North.

Area Children Officer Jane Kinuthia, who rescued the children, said they were alerted about the neglect after a neighbour took the children for polio immunisation.

“We went to the house and found the children, a boy and a girl, very dirty. They were even eating their own waste because of hunger, which was a very sad scene,” said Kinuthia.

She said the woman,  Doris Muthoni, will be charged for neglect, abandoning and exposing the children to unsuitable conditions.

Ms Kinuthia said the children would be put under care somewhere else.

Area ward representative Joyce Muriuki commended  the move by the children department, saying  the woman should face the maximum penalty.

The children department also rescued a 10-year-old boy living with HIV from a farm where he was working as a herdsboy.

The children’s officer said the boy has never attended school and did the odd jobs to save money for his circumcision.