A family in Gatanga, Murang’a County, is demanding answers after three children aged four, nine and ten were found dead in a swamp near their home, hours after they went missing following a church service.
The bodies of the two boys and a girl were discovered in a swamp in Rukoroi village, Kihumbuini, under circumstances that have left residents shocked and raised questions over what happened to the children.
The victims have been identified as ten-year-old Natalia Wambui, a Grade Four pupil, nine-year-old Jamal Mwangi, who was in Grade Three, and four-year-old Asaph Baraka, a PP1 pupil.
According to the family, the three children failed to return home after attending church, prompting concern over their whereabouts.
Their bodies were later discovered floating in the nearby swamp, bringing a tragic end to the search.
The family says the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear, particularly after the girl's body was reportedly found without clothes.
For Eunice Njeri, who had been taking care of the children, the tragedy has brought unimaginable grief.
Njeri had relocated from Nairobi to her rural home in Murang’a following her mother's death, hoping to rebuild her life while caring for her children and those of her sister.
What began as an ordinary day ended in tragedy when the children failed to return home.
Njeri is struggling to come to terms with the loss as she seeks answers about what happened in the hours between their disappearance and the discovery of their bodies.
She suspects the children may have been killed elsewhere before their bodies were dumped in the swamp.
Her suspicions have added to the family's anguish, although investigators have yet to establish whether the deaths resulted from drowning or foul play.
The discovery of the bodies, particularly the condition in which the young girl was reportedly found, has raised further concerns within the family.
However, the exact circumstances remain the subject of a police investigation, with authorities yet to confirm the cause of death.
Gatanga Sub-County police boss Ahmed Hillow confirmed the incident, saying detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had taken up the case.
Hillow said investigations were underway as police awaited postmortem examinations to establish what caused the children's deaths.
Police have not announced any arrests or confirmed evidence of foul play. The cause of death remains undetermined pending the postmortem results.
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