A family from Kandori village in Ithanga, Gatanga subcounty is demanding for justice after their seven-year-old daughter died after allegedly eating a poisoned mango she was given by a neighbour.
The family of the deceased, who was a class one pupil at Kandori primary school, claimed their daughter was poisoned by a Form Two student with whom she had disagreed with.
The second born in the family of four died on January 19 and was buried last Saturday.
The girl’s father, John Kariuki, a peasant farmer said his daughter had gone to fetch charcoal from their grandmother’s house at around 5 pm when the suspect lured her to their house and offered her a chopped ripe mango.
“Not knowing the fruit had been poisoned, she ate it and instantly started vomiting blood before she collapsed in a coma,” Kariuki said.
She had been accompanied by a younger brother who said he was denied the fruit.
“I heard screams by my son calling out my name. I hurried to the place only to find my daughter lapsing into unconsciousness. Foam was coming out of her mouth. Her hands were filled with juices of the mango. At the scene was my son and the suspect,” Kariuki said.
He took the girl to the Assumption of Mary dispensary in Kaguku market, a few kilometres away where she was put on drugs but was later pronounced dead.
The father reported the matter to Ithanga police post and recorded statements.
The post-mortem report showed that the girl died of chemical poisoning.
The suspect was arrested and later released.
They have called on the government to intervene and have the suspect brought to book.
“The family is poor and given the slow pace in which investigations are going, we fear the girl may not get justice. Why is the suspect still roaming freely?” Rose Mumbua, the aunt posed.
Gatanga OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said they have opened an inquest file of the case and investigations are ongoing.