Eldoret father poisons four children in domestic row

Going against the traditional role of fathers as protectors of families, a man has been accused of poisoning his four children.

The Sunday evening incident left residents of Chepkemel village in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, in shock. They could not understand how the suspect, Musa Saka, a man they described as quiet and peaceful, could turn against his own children. Two of the children died.

Mr Saka is said to have poisoned the children following an argument with his wife before trying to commit suicide. He was arrested after being treated at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret where he was recuperating with his two other children who survived the poisoning.

Two children, a boy and a girl aged 13 and two, were pronounced dead on arrival at Lumakanda Hospital in Lugari, Kakamega County. Area Chief Johana Kisoria said, “The suspect is alleged to have given the children the poison in a drink.”

Neighbours claim the man had been left to raise the children on his own after his wife left him. It is alleged that the woman left after her husband threatened to kill her following a domestic row.

According to neighbours, the suspect quarreled with his wife, leading to a fierce fight forcing the woman to flee to her parents’ home. Saka then turned his anger on the children.

Eldoret West Police boss Tom Achiya confirmed the incident, saying investigations are ongoing and the suspect will be arraigned in court.

“My officers rushed to the scene of the incident and found the two children writhing in pain and took them to Lumakanda Sub-county Hospital, but were pronounced dead on arrival,” he said.

The bodies of the children are at Kimbilio Hospice mortuary along the border of Uasin Gishu and Kakamega counties.

Achiya said the suspect will be arraigned in court after police complete investigations into the heinous act.

The police boss said they had retrieved some of the chemicals used by the suspect and that they would be taken to court as exhibits.