Police in Kenya have launched a manhunt for a house-help who poisoned her employer’s children and another one belonging to her coworker in Oruba estate.
One child died on Tuesday morning while two others and their new house-help are fighting for their lives at a local Hospital where they were rushed for treatment.
Ms Bertha Oluoch, a teacher by proffessional said her children were in good health when she arrived from work on Monday but she became suspicious after they started vomiting while complaining of stomach pains.
“When I arrived home after school, they were all okay. But moments later, they started vomiting and complaining of stomach pains so I rushed them to the hospital,”she said.
Ms Oluoch recounted how her house help identified as Ms Belinda Atieno had packed all her belongings and left in a huff after preparing the evening meal, which she now suspects might have been laced with poison.
According to Ms Oluoch, the meal was served to all her four children but the older ones did not take it as they had gone out to play in the neighborhood.
“She prepared some potato fries and cooked bananas which she served to my children and the new house-help then packed her belongings and left,” she said.
Ms Linda Endekwa, a new house-help who was admitted in hospital alongside the two children, said she ate the food with her son before going to bed only to discover he had died when she tried to wake her up the following day.
“I felt a strong pain in my stomach when I tried to walk to the washroom. I had grown so weak even to move downstairs so I shouted for help. Fortunately, madam rushed to my rescue and helped me out,” she said.
She said Belinda had been complaining of harassment by her employer and unpaid dues.
“Belinda had been accusing madam (her employer) of withholding her wages for the last four months and had hinted at teaching her some regrettable lesson,” she said.
At Hospital it was confirmed that there were traces of food poisoning in the patients admitted in the wards.
“We received the two children and a lady in her twenties who reportedly lost her son in what we suspect to be food poisoning,” he said.
According to Dr Mwanga, the patients had consumed the food which is suspected to have been poisoned.
“We did a lab test and admitted the four patients, unfortunately one of the children passed on while undergoing treatment,” he said.
Dr Mwanga said they would ascertain the cause of the death once postmortem results are out.
“The results will take three days to be out and we will give a comprehensive report though the three patients are in a stable condition,” he noted.
