Nakuru elderly woman dies as she returns from searching for food

Photo:Courtesy

An elderly woman collapsed and died on her way home after searching for food.

The 75-year-old woman from Kinamba village was said to have crossed to the neighbouring village to look for food.

Witnesses said the woman, who lives alone, scouted for odd jobs to get money to buy food.

"She told the quarry workers that since she could not find food, she was looking for manual jobs so she could earn a living," said Peterson Kimarua.

Workers who saw her fall said they rushed to help her but found that she had died and called the police.

A senior police officer who declined to be named said investigations had commenced to ascertain the cause of the woman's death.

"The body has been picked up and taken to Naivasha sub-county hospital mortuary and we are in the process of identifying the next of kin so that we know what exactly happened," he said

It is not clear whether she had been listed under the government fund that assists elderly persons which benefits an estimated 1,000 people in the area.

Elsewhere, child rights activists and residents in Gilgil sub-county rescued a month-old infant who was found dumped by the roadside.

According to Sekina Mohammed, the baby was found by residents on their way to work in the morning.

"The baby was wrapped in a piece of cloth and was heard crying from the roadside," she said.

The baby was taken to a local children’s home as police started a search for its mother.

Mohammed said child right activists were helping in the search.