A 23-year old man from Mwingoni village in Voi has been arrested for allegedly the genitals of his 4-months-old son.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday afternoon even as family members and neighbours reeled from shock and disbelief over the bizarre incident.
His wife said her husband had taken their son out for a walk on Saturday evening and returned late. The baby was asleep.
On Sunday morning, the suspect insisted on giving the baby a bath before dressing him which was odd because he rarely did that, the wife said.
It was while they were in the middle of the church service when the baby started wailing.
The mother had taken the baby outside to calm him down when she saw scratch marks on the baby’s neck.
Worried, she quickly undressed him.
“It was a terrible sight. His body had bite marks all over. The neck, back, thighs and even his genitals,” said the teary mother. The genitals were still bleeding at the time.
She took the baby to a local health facility which referred the case to Moi County Referral Hospital for specialised treatment.
Village elders piled pressure on the family to take the baby for a medical check-up. But a bitter dispute arose, with the father resisting efforts to have the case reported to the police.
“He didn’t want to go but we put pressure on him,” said Mama Baslita Lunga, an elder.
The baby had what appeared as a large bite on the back of his head, on the back, buttocks and sole of his feet. There is another large bite mark on the baby’s genital.
A family member, who declined to be named, said the suspect was their last born and had never portrayed any unusual behavior.
“He has always been very supportive and loves that baby. He doesn’t even allow us to touch him,” she said.
