Police are hunting for a househelp who killed a child and left another and a woman fighting for their lives through poisoning in Migori.
The maid from hell, identified as Belinda Atieno, poisoned the family of her boss on Monday within Oruba estate in Migori town.
Neighbours said she had disagreed with her employer.
Migori county police boss Joseph Nthenge said they were closing in on the suspect.
A child died on Tuesday morning while two remained hospitalised at St. Joseph Mission Hospital.
Bertha Oluoch, a teacher at Migori Primary School, said she noticed something was amiss on Monday evening when she returned from work and found her two children complaining of stomachache.
Oluoch had just employed a new househelp to replace Belinda. The new maid, Linda Endekwa, came with her toddler.
Belinda prepared dinner for the family that evening and left the house in a huff.
“She prepared supper which was served to my four children. Others were lucky as they had gone to play at a neighbour’s house,"Oluoch said.
Endekwa said her son succumbed to poisoning while receiving treatment.
"I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and rushed downstairs where I collapsed and was rushed to the hospital,” Endekwa said.
She said Belinda had been complaining of harassment by her employer and unpaid wages.
“Belinda accused madam (Oluoch) of withholding her wages for the last four months and had hinted at teaching her some regrettable lesson," Endekwa told the star from her hospital bed.
Collins Mwanga, a clinical officer at the facility, said there were traces of food poisoning in the patients.
“We received the two children and a lady in her twenties who reportedly lost her son on what we suspected to be food poisoning,” Mwanga said.
He said they will authoritatively get the cause of death after test results are out.
Edited by Peter Obuya
