Two heart-wrenching incidents of maternal violence have left communities in shock and disbelief in Bomet and Baringo counties, Kenya.
In both cases, innocent children lost their lives at the hands of their own mothers, leaving their families and neighbors devastated.
In Bomet County, a 35-year-old woman named Faith Cherono is currently being held at the Bomet police station for allegedly killing her 13-year-old son.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred because the boy was accused of stealing two maize cobs from a neighbor’s farm at Mogoma village.
Faith Cherono is said to have unleashed severe punishment on her son, causing serious injuries to his stomach that ultimately led to his death.
Her 7-year-old daughter also faced the wrath of her mother, enduring a merciless beating and sustaining serious injuries. The girl is currently receiving treatment at Longisa Referral Hospital.
The area chief, Isaac Koech, revealed that the brutal act unfolded after the suspect received a complaint from her neighbor regarding the alleged theft.
In a fit of rage, she unleashed violence upon her children, resulting in their tragic injuries.
Neighbors who heard the cries and pleas for mercy rushed to the scene and immediately took the injured children to the hospital.
Unfortunately, the boy was pronounced dead upon arrival, leaving the community anguished over the senseless loss of a young life.
The suspect is now under interrogation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Children’s Department, as authorities seek to unravel the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident.
The children’s father is also in police custody in connection with the case.
In a separate incident in Baringo County, a middle-aged woman named Dorcas Chebet has been arrested and is facing charges of infanticide.
She allegedly killed her three-day-old son and buried him in the backyard of her home in Timboiywo, Baringo Central.
The local police received information about the tragic incident from the area assistant chief, Mary Kipsang.
Authorities found the infant buried in a pit as an attempt to conceal the evidence of the heinous act.
Sacho OCS Jeremiah Miningo expressed regret over the incident and urged women to speak up about their struggles, especially during the postpartum period, to avoid such tragic outcomes.
