A woman in Makueni County has been thrown into mourning after her child died while she was locked in police station.
Zipporah Mutheu, the child’s mother is a business lady in Kambu township.
In an iterview with local daily, Mutheu said not long ago she lent goods to a customer two months ago but the customer defaulted on the payment.
“I had given her Sh1,000 in cash, then other goods worth Sh465. She paid the Sh1,000 but the rest of the money she refused to pay,” she said.
“When my shop ran out of milk stock, I went to her to ask for the balance, but instead of paying, she called police to arrest me,” she said.
The mother of two told recalled that May 29, 2024 while in her shop, a police officer on a motorbike approached and allegedly assaulted her.
In the process, she suspects the child she was carrying was hit during the confrontation.
“I wasn’t even given time to close the door of my shop, the officer hurriedly took us to the police station and bungled us into a holding cell hitting the ground,” said Mutheu.
“By the time of the arrest, my baby was under medication. He had been treated at a health facility in Mtito Andei and we were told to take him to Makindu sub-county hospital for further check-up,” she added.
Mutheu says that night while in the cell, she pleaded with the officers on duty to allow her to take the child to hospital but they refused.
“By around 4am on Thursday, five women came to pick the baby but the officer dismissed them, informing them that being a suspect under police custody I had no right to be accessed by outsiders until I am taken to court,” Mutheu said.
An hour later, she said the child started vomiting, and he stopped breathing.
The mother says she stayed with the body until 7.30am Thursday. To make matters worse, she was instructed to carry her dead son to Kambu sub-county hospital morgue.
