A family from Athi River in Machakos county is seeking justice for their 3-year-old son who was found dead in a manhole. Machakos Mum devastated after only child dies in manhole. The distraught mother Janet Nyaboke wept bitterly recounting the moment her son’s body was discovered in the manhole of a stalled building in Mlolongo. “I came here and found so many people including police officers. What will I do now? This was my only son, my only child,” she said amid tears in a report by K24TV. She noted that her baby was playing with three of his friends when he fell and drowned in the hole. How did end up in manhole? Hellon Samson, the boy’s father noted that his son was in good health and he does not understand how he ended up drowning in the hole.
“My son was fine, he ate lunch and went to play. We later heard that a kid had fallen into the manhole. I was at work but when I arrived the police had already removed the body,” stated the dad. He blamed construction workers for the incident, saying they failed to cover the hole that was full of water, causing a danger to the residents. Mlolongo family demands justice Simon also noted that it was not the first time someone had fallen into such a hole. He explained that even animals, including cows and donkeys, have in the past fallen victim to the carelessness of construction site workers.
“Most of these construction sites in Mlolongo do not take precautions, and contribute to such deaths. My son is no more and we have already moved his body to the mortuary,” he added. The village elder Paul Mutavi also condemned the negligence, calling on the government to take action against property owners who have failed to secure such hazardous sites. Moreover, Athi River East Sub-County police commander Anderson Mbae while confirming the incident said it was reported as a case of drowning.
by Lynn-Linzer Kibebe
