Talarus Chesang
A 9-year-old Baringo girl who was allegedly defiled by a 60-year-old man has been found in the bush hungry and weak after she went missing for five days.
The girl was found lying in a thicket about 200 metres away from her auntie’s marital home at Kabarsimotwo village in Ossen-Kabartonjo, Baringo North Sub-county.
She said that while in the bush she survived on wild fruits and water, adding that her defiler gave a 5 shilling and 10 shilling coins and warned her not to tell anybody about what had happened to her.
“A search with the help of neighbours had earlier been fruitless after she disappeared from her home on Thursday last week,” narrated Rodah Kandago, the girl’s guardian who is also her aunt.
Rodah said a suspect, (name withheld) had been identified, adding that the minor was rushed immediately to the County Referral Hospital in Kabarnet town where she received first aid before treatment.
Examination done by doctors also confirmed that the girls had been defiled. Upon interrogation in the hospital, the girl said throughout her lonely stay in the bush, she survived solely on wild fruits and water.
“I ran away because the suspect did bad things to me and harassed me, so I feared he could beat me up,” she said.
Kandagor said the girl whose face was swollen experienced difficulty in walking. “She couldn’t walk straight and faster. She was staggering,” he added.
Seremwo primary school head teacher, Mr Alexander Tando said the girl went missing from school from Thursday last week.
“I had noticed her looking sickly and gloomy earlier on Tuesday and called her to my office to enquire what was wrong to her but she denied suffering from any sickness.” he said.
He however said he then asked her to accompany her parents or guardian to the school the next day, but they didn’t turn up.
Tando said since he joined the school last year, the girl was healthy, jovial, disciplined and hardworking.
The school Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher Rodah Kiptui said the girl revealed to her that the suspect had defiled defiled her three times earlier the latest being on 10th May.
On Wednesday, the Sub-county Police Commander Fredrick Odinga confirmed he received a reported case of defilement and missing child in his office onTuesday, adding that they have launched investigations and a manhunt for the suspect.
