A man from Shinyalu Village in Lumakanda Ward, Lugari Sub-County, has been apprehended after he allegedly forced his 11-year-old son to sit on fire as punishment for pilfering Sh50.
The area chief, Ms. Celestine Maino, confirmed the shocking incident, revealing that Andrew Ndegwa, the suspect, subjected his son Wesley Ndegwa to severe burns by forcing him to sit on a fire at the fireplace in the kitchen.
The suspect then callously locked the traumatized child inside the house and fled, but was later arrested.
“It took the efforts of the area village elder, who informed me about the incident, to break into the house and rush the injured child to the Lumakanda County Hospital for urgent medical attention,” Ms. Maino told WKT on phone.
She disclosed that young Wesley Ndegwa suffered extensive injuries, with approximately 60% of his body covered in burns, rendering his condition critical.
The local administrator has issued a plea to parents, urging them to exercise leniency in disciplining their children and emphasizing the gravity with which cases of assault are treated.
The suspect will spend the night in custody and is expected to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
Discover the pulse of Western Kenya with WKT – your go-to digital media platform for real-time updates, rich perspectives, and powerful stories that matter.
