Murdered child buried in emotional ceremony

Rodney Mito speaks during the burial of his son, Mayson Mito. The seven-year-old was killed two weeks ago in Burendwa village. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

A somber mood engulfed Burendwa village in Ikolomani, Kakamega County on Thursday, as one of the two children killed a fortnight ago was buried.

Nine-year-old Winston Limusi and Mayson Mito, aged seven, were found dead in a house at Mwiyala estate in Kakamega town where they lived with their mother, Pherine Maero.

Ms Maero, a nurse, is the prime suspect in the murder of the minors.

The woman is admitted at Kakamega County Teaching and Referral hospital in critical condition after she reportedly tried to take her life after allegedly killing the minors.

The woman is said to have stabbed herself in the neck and back after the incident. It had earlier been reported that Maero poisoned the children. However, a postmortem later indicated the boys had been strangled.

Emotions ran high as the body of Mayson was lowered into the grave. 

Meanwhile, Winston's body has been preserved at the Kakamega General Hospital mortuary. The two boys had different fathers.

Police said they are waiting for the woman to recover so she can shed some light on how the children died.

Robayi Andala (left), the great-grandmother of Mayson Mito and Rodney Mito looks on during the burial, March 17, 2022. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

Isukha South MCA Farouk Machanje and his Idakho North counterpart Gladys Mukolongolo were the only politicians who attended the burial.

Mr Rodney Mito, Ms Maero's estranged husband, eulogised his son as a cheerful boy.

"It is so painful for me to lose my son. The boys stayed with me here for five days after closing school before I took them to their mother. It didn't take long before I was informed of their death," said Mr Mito.

Relatives said Mito loved both children despite the fact that one of them was not his biological son and are still wondering why anyone would take the lives of innocent children.

Ms Robai Masingila, the boys' great-grandmother said she did not know it would be the last time she was seeing them when they parted ways.

"If I knew what was going to happen to them, I would not have let my grandchildren go back to their mother," she said.

Dr Dickson Muchana, a government pathologist who conducted the autopsy at Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital said the boys died from strangulation, and not poisoning.