Nobert Otieno displays a picture of his daughter Joy Otieno, who died in a Kitengela day care, on March 26, 2026, at Kitengela Sub-County hospital mortuary.
When a two-and-a-half-year-old Joy Otieno waved goodbye to her father, Nobert Otieno, on the morning of Wednesday, March 25, 2026, he did not know that it was the last time he would see his daughter alive.
The last-born child in a family of three died mysteriously three hours later in a day care centre she had called home for at least the last two months at a fee of Sh150 daily.
On Thursday afternoon, when the Nation caught up with Mr Otieno, 40, seated on a bench outside Kitengela Sub-County Hospital mortuary, he was deep in thought, perhaps reminiscing about the last moments he shared with his daughter. Relatives were seated on an adjacent bench, conversing in low tones, unable to come to terms with the death of their loved one.
At that moment, the body of Otieno's daughter lay on a cold slab in the morgue as the pathologist conducted the autopsy. Mr Otieno said death had snatched away the joy of the family.
"She used to light up our home with laughter and joy. She was my only daughter. I can't believe she is gone forever,” he said.
He said that on the fateful morning, the girl bade him goodbye as her mother took her to Blessed Child Day Care at around 9am, a few metres from the family’s rental home along Kitengela Miriams Road.
The family’s ordeal began after a distress call from the day care owner, who informed Joy’s mother, then at her workplace, that the child had choked on porridge.
The mother, in turn, informed the father, who had already reported to work at a restaurant in Kitengela town.
"When I arrived at the Kitengela Sub-County Hospital emergency room, the nurse in charge directed me to the mortuary. I found my wife, several neighbours and nurses staring at my daughter's cold body lying still on a mortuary slab. She looked tortured, with bruises and injured lips. I felt like the ground was slipping beneath my feet. It was the darkest moment of my life,” said Otieno.
Nobert Otieno displays a picture of his daughter Joy Otieno, who died in a Kitengela day care, on March 26, 2026, at Kitengela Sub-County hospital mortuary.
Suspicious injuries
He added that a month earlier, his daughter had come home with an injury on her face, but the daycare owner had convinced him she had hurt herself while playing.
"It seems the signs were there that all was not well, but as parents, we ignored them. At first, she was injured, but we let it go after the owner apologised. Later, we noticed our daughter had become introverted, suggesting something was troubling her,” he said.
The post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Peter Ndegwa on Thursday afternoon indicated that Joy died from blunt force trauma to the head, causing brain bleeding.
She had also suffered from aspirated food in the lungs.
Aspirating food means inhaling it into the lungs instead of swallowing it, and it can cause choking, coughing and chest pain.
Dr Ndegwa said aspirated food was unlikely for a minor unless triggered by certain drugs administered to the deceased, prompting a request for toxicology tests and the collection of samples during the post-mortem.
However, Joy's father said his daughter was not under any medication, raising suspicions of foul play.
"My daughter died in the hands of the person I entrusted her to. I want the security agencies to expedite investigations and ensure justice is served,” said Otieno tearfully.
Arrest and pursuit of justice
The day care centre proprietor has since been apprehended by Kitengela Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers and is currently being held at Kitengela Police Station to assist with investigations. The day care has since been closed.
A DCI officer privy to the investigation told Nation that documents obtained showed the day care was legally registered, but its certificate had not been renewed.
He said detectives are combing through records after allegations emerged that another minor died in the same facility last year under unclear circumstances.
"We are broadening our investigations,” he said, adding that the probe would include allegations that the children were given drugs to make them sleep and ease the workload.
Isinya Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer Silvance Otieno Wanga said the suspect will be arraigned in court in due course.
"The suspect is in custody. With the post-mortem report out, we are ready to take her to court to answer to murder charges. I urge parents to be vigilant about where they leave their children for day care services,” said Wanga.
Day care services are common among working parents, especially in urban areas, as they provide supervised care, education and nutrition for young children aged up to five years in a safe environment, often enabling parents to work.
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