A family is pleading for justice after their three-and-a-half-year-old son drowned in a manhole at Mlolongo, Machakos County.
The boy reportedly died after he fell into the manhole at a building under construction in Athi River subcounty on Sunday. The incident is said to have occurred at around 3.00pm.
Athi River East Subcounty police commander Anderson Mbae, confirming the incident, said the matter was reported to Mlolongo police station as a drowning incident report.
“We received the drowning report and launched investigations on the matter. We will give details on the incident once we are through with the probe,” Mbae told the Star on Monday.
The incident shocked the locals, who called for urgent, necessary actions by relevant authorities.
They said it wasn’t the first time a child had fallen into the same manhole and died.
The boy’s mother, Janet Nyaboke, said the deceased was her only child.
“I received a phone call from someone informing me that my child had fallen into the manhole and drowned. I was at my workplace when the incident happened,” Nyaboke told the Star at the scene on Monday.
“I rushed to this place only to find a crowd of people and police officers. He is my only child. I don’t know what to do."
The child’s father, Hellon Samson, said the boy was in good health before his demise.
“Our child woke up well in the morning, took lunch, and later went out to play with his friends only to receive a phone call that he had drowned inside the manhole. I found police officers at the scene when I responded to the call,” Samson said.
Samson said they removed the body to Kitengela Level 4 hospital mortuary in Kajiado county for preservation awaiting an autopsy.
“We are urging the government to intervene in our plight; we need justice for our son,” Samson said.
Mlolongo phase three village elder Paul Mutavi said he received information on the child’s death while he was on his way from church.
“I received a phone call from a member of the public that a child had died inside a manhole at a stalled building in Mlolongo phase three estate. I immediately called the area assistant chief and raised Mlolongo police station, and we later all met at the scene,” Mutavi said.
Mutavi condemned the incident, stating that it wasn’t the first time such an incident occurred in the estate alongside other parts of Mlolongo division.
“Some people construct houses with manholes, septic tanks, pit latrines, and open pits and leave them uncovered. We have in the past rescued a child who had fallen inside this same manhole and as well removed carcasses of cows, donkeys, and pigs,” Mutavi said.
He urged the government to take stern action on investors who fail to secure their premises, thereby exposing residents to danger leading to such unnecessary deaths.
“The owner of this building should take responsibility for the child’s death,” Mutavi said.
Mutavi said the boy was playing with three other children when he fell into the manhole.
A local, after the incident, volunteered her construction materials to cover up the manhole in which the child drowned alongside two others in the building.
Residents said there were many open pits, manholes, septic tanks, and pit latrines in the area.