Police car./FILE
Police are investigating an incident in which a two-year-old girl died after accidentally consuming poisoned porridge that had allegedly been prepared to kill a dog in Tharaka Nithi County.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Kamathiuthiu Village, Kanjoro Location, in Mukothima Sub-County, police said.
According to police, the matter was reported by a resident.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a nine-year-old boy was playing with five other children when he allegedly mixed poison into a bowl of porridge, intending to feed it to a dog.
However, before the porridge could be given to the animal, the two-year-old girl reportedly drank it while sitting at the doorstep of her grandfather's house.
She collapsed and died shortly afterwards.
Police officers visited the scene and documented the incident.
The child's body was moved to Marimanti Hospital Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
In a separate incident, a 35-year-old man was killed by an angry mob after the body of a five-year-old girl, who had earlier been reported missing, was found inside his house in Kitui West Sub-County.
The incident occurred on Sunday night in the Tulia area and is under investigation by police.
Police officers from Tulia Police Station responded to reports that the house of Shadrack Mwanzia Munyoki had been vandalized by members of the public.
Upon arriving at the scene, they found his body lying in a pool of blood inside the house.
While securing the scene, officers discovered the body of the five-year-old girl under a bed in the same house.
Police said the child had injuries and was bleeding from her genital area.
Investigators established that the girl had been reported missing to the local chief at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, prompting a search by local residents.
Her body was later found inside the deceased man's house, triggering the mob attack that resulted in his death.
Senior police officers and detectives from Kitui West visited and documented the scene before the two bodies were moved to Muthale Mission Hospital Mortuary, where post-mortem examinations will be conducted.
Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the child's death and the subsequent mob killing.
Police have condemned mob justice, describing it as a criminal act, and urged members of the public to surrender suspects to the authorities for lawful investigation and prosecution.
