Tragedy as toddler dies after alleged choking incident at daycare in Kitengela
A family in Kitengela, Kajiado County, is mourning the heartbreaking loss of their two-and-a-half-year-old child following a suspected choking incident at a local daycare centre.
The minor reportedly died on Wednesday after allegedly choking on porridge while under care at a daycare facility within the Taifa House area.
The child’s mother told police she had dropped her daughter at Blessed Daycare at around noon before proceeding to her workplace in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
Trouble began later in the afternoon when the daycare owner contacted the mother, informing her that the child had been rushed to Kitengela Sub-County Hospital after reportedly choking while feeding.
The distraught mother rushed to the facility, only to receive the devastating news that her child had already succumbed.
Police officers who visited the hospital mortuary noted that the child’s body had no visible external injuries. However, vomit was observed oozing from the nostrils, and the upper lip appeared swollen—details that have raised questions as investigations begin.
The body was preserved at the hospital mortuary pending a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, the daycare owner was taken into police custody to assist with ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
She told police the child choked while being fed. The facility holds dozens of children on a daily basis. Most mothers are casual labourers in the area.
The tragic case has sparked concern among parents in the fast-growing Kitengela township over the safety standards and supervision in daycare centres, with many now calling for stricter oversight to prevent similar incidents.
Police said they are investigating the tragedy.
Such incidents have in the past been reported elsewhere in the country and remain under probe, police said on Thursday.
The police want proper regulation on the facilities offering the services.