Police have launched a probe into the chilling death of a 13-year-old boy whose body was discovered just outside his family's gate in Maella village under suspicious circumstances.
According to the boy's parents, the teenager collapsed after a fall. But detectives aren't buying it.
Investigators say the nature of the fatal injury, a deep wound atop the boy's head, casts serious doubt on the family's account.
Authorities now suspect the boy may have been struck with a sharp object, possibly a jembe (hoe), during a violent confrontation allegedly involving his stepfather.
What began as a case of minor theft spiralled into tragedy. The teenager had reportedly stolen a flash drive from a local shop, prompting a heated altercation. A few hours later, his lifeless body was found just metres from their home.
Naivasha Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) Isaac Kiama said the parents claimed their son had been attacked by members of the public and later released.
The stepfather alleged the boy was injured while fleeing home, struck by a stone during a fall. But detectives aren't convinced.
"The wound on his head appears to have been inflicted by a jembe, not a stone, as claimed. We are questioning the parents about this incident," Kiama revealed.
A postmortem is expected to confirm the cause of death, though cost constraints are delaying the process.
"The family cannot afford the cost of a postmortem, so we are working with the sub-county hospital to see if the fees can be waived," added Kiama.
In a separate incident that has heightened concern in Naivasha, a 25-year-old man was found dead in his Karagita estate home after an apparent suicide.
Friends discovered the flower farm worker's body hanging after he failed to report to work for two consecutive days.
Though he left no suicide note, police said the man had previously expressed suicidal thoughts following a dispute with his wife.
"We are taking no chances and will conduct a postmortem to determine the cause of death," said the DCIO, acknowledging the worrying rise in youth suicides in the area.
