A 10-year-old girl in Baringo, Kenya has been defiled to death by her aunt’s husband at their home in Baringo North sub-county since 2019. The suspect, Haron Cherono,60, is on the run.
The standard three pupil succumbed to the injuries she sustained from being raped by the 60-year-old man for three years at Sunrise Children’s home in Kabarnet in Baringo Central
According to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, the girl suffered intensive uterus, kidney and liver damage. It linked the girl’s death to viral infections which weren’t noticed and treated early.
The Sunrise Children’s home manager, Titus Barmasa while narrating the story to newsmen said “The child was brought to our institution two months ago but little did we know her health was in critical condition,”
He blamed the victim’s family for not providing the children’s home doctors with the girl’s medical report, as that would have helped them ascertain the severity of her condition on time, and arrange for specialised treatment.
Barmasai said at midnight the girl asked for someone to hold her stomach. She also asked to be given water, mangoes and soda before she collapsed and died, until her death, the girl had a swollen head, face and limbs. She had lost her appetite and couldn’t walk.
“My uncle used to drag me every evening around 7 pm to 8 pm into his bedroom while my auntie was still in her shop at the centre,” the girl had said.
She said her uncle threatened to kill her if she dared to speak about the rapes.
“He didn’t even care when I screamed in pain or bled,” she said.
Two months ago, the sickness forced the girl to run away from her auntie’s home. She lived in the bush for about a week, eating wild fruits. Villagers who hunted for her found her hungry and weak.
Baringo North OCPD Fredrick Odinga said the suspect, Haron Cherono, is still on the run but they are pursuing him to arrest him and charge him with murder.
“He can run but he can’t hide, we will finally capture him from his hideouts,” Odinga said.
He said the suspect’s wife has been arrested and is in police custody. She is to be arraigned in court on Monday for harbouring a criminal, he said.
However, she had earlier told the media she was innocent and that she has never known her husband could do such evil things.
“If it is true, then I don’t have any control over it, just let the law take its course,” she said.
Family members pleaded for justice, saying the government should fast-track the investigation and arrest the suspect.
“As a family, we are not going to bury our daughter until the culprit(s) are brought to book,” one of them said.
Her headteacher Alexander Tando said he had noticed the girl’s sickly appearance and gloomy behaviour before she mysteriously went missing.
Tando said when he joined the school last year, the girl was healthy, jovial, disciplined and hardworking.
