By Betty Luke
Residents of Kiracha village within the outskirts of Isiolo town have been treated to a rude shock after a woman burnt her daughter’s buttocks after she welcomed her friends to their home.
The 10-year-old told journalists that the mother descended on her with a hot panga accusing her of allowing other children into the home without informing her.
The mother is said to have warned the minor of dire consequences if she dared reveal what had transpired.
“She told me to lie that I sat on a hot cooking pan which is not true. She has been threatening to punish me if I reported to anyone,” the minor said.
A Community Health Promoter (CHP) Hellen Mutuma, who took the victim to a local dispensary after the incident, said the minor sustained serious injuries on her lower back and on the legs and was put on medication.
“The child would not sit comfortable and was crying of pain before she was treated. If she didn’t run away from home the situation could have worsened,” she noted.
According to the villagers, the suspect could be experiencing mental health issues occasioned by the hard economic times and the burden of raising eight children single-handedly.
“Instead of hurting the child, she should have sought help from the neighbors or even at government offices. Why would she hurt an innocent child?” wondered Ms Mutuma.
Village Elder Esther Ruguru noted that she had taken the girl to her custody and was waiting for directives from the police before allowing her back home.
“I cannot release the girl to go home because the mother is yet to be arrested. I fear if she goes back home the worst could happen,” she said.
She decried increasing incidents of child abuse in the area and called on parents to cease unreasonable punishments to the children.
The villagers have called for intervention into the mental wellness of single parents to ensure their children don’t suffer consequences of their parents mental illnesses.
The Constitution of Kenya (Article 53) recognizes the rights of all children to be protected from abuse, neglect, harmful cultural practices and all forms of violence.
