Kidnappings of children in Bungoma put parents on edge
Bungoma County Referral Hospital. A boy, a state of shock and traumatised, is receiving treatment at the facility after unknown people abducted him on Thursday morning.
A spate of child kidnapping has hit Bungoma County where they are waylaid and held hostage without their abductors demanding ransom, raising concern over their motives.
Two incidents have been reported in less than one month in Kanduyi constituency. The children are kidnapped in the wee hours as they head to school.
The abductions have caused fears among parents, who have called on police to act.
Bungoma County Criminal Investigations boss Joseph Ondoro said police were looking into the incidents.
“Unfortunately, no suspects have been arrested but we are working with bodaboda operators in unearthing the motive behind the kidnapping incidents and will soon make arrests,” said Mr Ondoro.
He said a 13-year-old boy was abducted on Thursday morning near Uwanja Ndege, on the outskirts of Bungoma town.
“We are waiting for the boy to recover from shock to enable him to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of the abductors,” said Mr Ondoro.
The boy’s mother, Millicent Makokha, said he was still in shock and feared divulging any information.
"My son was on his way to school when he was kidnapped by people he did not identify outside our gate. They drugged him before speeding with him on a motorcycle,” Ms Makokha said.
He was found at midday lying unconscious in a ditch by a Good Samaritan in Chebukwa, Kabuchai constituency, some 10km from the family’s home.
The Good Samaritan, she said, brought him home before he was taken to Bungoma Referral Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
“He suffered minor injuries on his hands, but he is in a state of shock and traumatised,” Ms Makokha said.
“He normally takes a bodaboda to school at around 5:30am, but on this particular day, the kidnappers bounced on him.”
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She cautioned school administrators against asking pupils to go to school in the wee hours of the morning and thus exposing them to attacks or abductions.
"I’m thankful to God that he is still alive. I do not know what I would have done if the abductors had hurt or killed him," Ms Makokha said.
She said the kidnappers did not demand any ransom from her.
Bungoma Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr David Wanikina said the child was responding well to treatment.
"We are treating the incident with lots of consciousness to find out if he was [sexually assaulted] or drugged," he said
The incident was the second in the area in less than a month.
Another child, a Grade Five pupil, was recently abducted, drugged and dumped on the side of a road.
Parents and residents have asked police to increase night patrols, especially in the morning, to curb such incidents.
