Police yesterday arrested a woman suspected to have assaulted two children in Nairobi’s Greenfields estate.
The children, two brothers aged 12 and six, are fighting for their lives at a Nairobi hospital after undergoing surgery on their heads as medics tried to medicate stab wounds inflicted on them allegedly by a disgraced former househelp.
“They had deep cuts on their heads. Blood was oozing from the mouths,” said Juliet Sunday, their neighbour. “They had a long surgery on Friday night.”
The suspect behind the ghastly act, who had been on the run was arrested yesterday afternoon at Jua Kali area of Turbo, Uasin Gishu County.
She was initially identified as Gladys Naliaka, based on the identity card she had presented to her employers. But after her arrest, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that she has two Kenyan IDs. It will require more investigations to reveal her real name.
The DCI stated that she had boarded a Busia-bound bus and was on the way to Uganda “where she is believed to have some roots”.
Uasin Gishu police boss Ayub Ali said the suspect was being trailed using telecommunication signals.
“Police were tracking her using her phone and were lucky to find her when she switched on her mobile phone,” Mr Ali told the Sunday Nation. “After arrest, she was positively identified using the photo the police were given by her (former) employer.”
According to Ms Sunday, who featured in a video providing information about the attack that drew the fury of Kenyans on social media platforms, the boys’ parents were very shaken by the events.
The suspect had been dismissed as the household’s nanny. Days later, she stormed the household and attacked the children, inflicting serious injuries. Last evening, the DCI said the boys were in critical condition.
The suspect went on the run and as the bleeding boys received medical attention, videos about the situation circulated, creating the trend #ArrestNaliaka on Twitter.
“Our attention into the matter was also drawn to a video clip posted by the children’s distraught mother, appealing for information that may lead to the perpetrator’s arrest,” the DCI posted yesterday.
