Murder most foul: Four-year-old killed, body dumped into pit latrine

A family in Tuala village, Kajiado East Sub-county is demanding answers following the heinous murder of their four-year-old son, whose body was dumped into an abandoned water-filled pit latrine.

Branton Maliba Isabwa went missing in the afternoon of Wednesday, December 20, 2023. His body was discovered four days later under the most macabre circumstances.

Branton was last seen alive playing with his friends a few meters away from the family's rental house within Tuala shopping centre.

The boy's mother, Ms Nancy Sifuna, 27, told the Nation that she last saw her son alive on the said date at lunch hour, only for the child to vanish without trace.

"I last saw my cheerful son alive in the afternoon when he came for lunch from a nearby playfield. He requested to talk to his dad, but he was taking a nap then. I promised to alert him before I went to church. I left before the father woke up but when I returned home at 6pm my son was nowhere to be seen," the distraught mother recounted.

The PP1 pupil at the nearby Assured Knowledge Academy never came back home that evening.

Body discovered

The family, with the help of neighbours, frantically searched for the boy the whole evening and later reported the matter at Oloosirkon Police Station under OB No. 10/20/12/2023.

With the officers at the police station offering little help, the family escalated the matter to Kitengela Police Station, 30 km away, but they were referred to Tuala Police Station.

Their worst fears were confirmed on Christmas Eve when the boy's body was discovered floating in the abandoned pit latrine, 250 meters from the family's home.

On Thursday, the grieving mother told the Nation that all she has left are her son's toys, school uniforms and memories of his radiant smile.

"I have no one to call me mum... Why kill an innocent soul," said a tearful Ms Sifuna.

According to the boy's father, Mr Ezekiel Isabwa Maliba, the 25-foot-deep pit latrine where his son's body was found is located in an undeveloped plot.

"My boy's body was discovered by children who were playing nearby. The hole was covered with soil immediately after the body was retrieved. It's a big blow for my family to lose our only child," said Mr Isabwa.

Postmortem report

A postmortem that was conducted at City Mortuary on December 28, 2023 indicated that the boy had drowned. But the family rejected the report.

On December 27, 2023, three days after the body was discovered, Isinya Sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers visited the bereaved family to record statements.

Attempts by the Nation to reach Isinya Sub-county DCI boss for comments on the matter were futile.

The family now wants detectives to expedite the investigations and bring the culprits to book. Family members also claim that they have known enemies who could have had a motive to murder their son.

"We are seeking justice for our son. He was a bright boy with his aspirations. We believe his murder was premeditated. Let security agents expedite the investigations," said Mr Isabwa.

The family is currently making burial arrangements for their son at their rural home in Western Kenya, although they have yet to set the date.