There was a drama at Kitiri assistant chief’s office, Kinangop Constituency when members of the public dumped two minors at the administrator’s office.
The minors, both girls aged seven and two, were abandoned by their mother who eloped with her lover who lives in Kiambu County.
The residents complained and accused the assistant chief of protecting the mother, aged 25, after several complaints that she was mistreating and neglecting her children.
The residents claimed to have escorted the amorous mother to the assistant chief’s office several times but were released her in unclear circumstances.
“When she once fractured the hand of one of the minors, we reported the incident to the assistant chief who arrested but released her a few hours later. The minors live in deplorable condition; she does not feed them. We are tired of feeding, clothing and cleaning her children,” said Esther Wambui.
She said that the children have been scavenging for a living at Kinja market, while their mother engaged in drinking sprees in local bars.
Jacob Kinyanjui, a resident, said the woman has peculiar ways of attracting male customers and bar owners like it when she patronizes their pubs.
“Early in the year, we had a meeting where we resolved that she should never be employed in a bar as a way of forcing her to take care of children, but the bar owners still entertained and welcomed her in the entertainment joints. The reason we had resolved that was to make her get alternative means of livelihood to support children,” said Mr Kinyanjui.
ABANDONED
On Tuesday evening, the residents got angry on learning that the mother had packed her clothes and abandoned the children.
Kitiri location Chief Rahab Kiiru termed the mother as a habitual and notorious drunkard, who has been arrested several times for child neglect.
“We even arrested her on Monday for getting her daughter out of school. She pleaded for mercy and promised to reform. We were not aware that she was planning to escape,” said the chief.
Ms Kiiru said that the errant mother eloped to Kiambu with her lover, a criminal wanted by the police in connection to various crimes including livestock thefts.
The chief said that her office has placed the minors in safe custody as police trace the errant mother.
