Father arrested after daughters found dead in suspected poisoning in Kisumu

A 38-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the suspected poisoning of his two daughters, aged four and seven, who were found dead inside their home in Kadongo village, Kisumu West Sub-County.

The children, a seven-year-old and a four-year-old, were found dead in the sitting room of their father's two-room house, one lying on a couch and the other on the floor.

Kisumu West Sub-County Police Commander Phanton Analo said officers from Holo Police Station and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) responded to the scene after the incident was reported by area clan elder Paul Ouko at around 4.22 pm.

"The report was made by the area clan elder, who informed us about the incident. Officers from Holo Police Station and DCI Kisumu West rushed to the scene, approximately six kilometres from the station, where they found the two children dead inside the house," Analo said.

According to police, the children's bodies had turned yellowish, with vomit-like substances around their mouths. No physical injuries were observed, raising suspicion that they had been poisoned.

Analo said the father had locked himself inside the house after the incident but was arrested after police intervened to rescue him from an angry mob.

"The suspect was rescued from members of the public who were angry and had almost lynched him. Police officers intervened and took him into custody," he said.

He was later taken to Chulaimbo Hospital for treatment following the mob attack.

Police recovered a bottle containing a liquid substance suspected to have been used in the poisoning. The substance was collected and secured as an exhibit before being forwarded to the Government Chemist for analysis.

The children's bodies were taken to Masaba Referral Hospital mortuary, where they are awaiting postmortem examinations to establish the cause of death.