Street child dies after suspected poisoning, three admitted
One of the victims pictured at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital on October 8, 2022. PHOTO | OLIVIER MUKAAYA
Three street children in Mbale City are said to be in critical condition at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital after they were reportedly poisoned on Saturday at Mbale Bus Park.
The victims were four, however, one died on the way while being rushed to hospital for medical attention.
A nurse at the hospital who preferred anonymity said the victims are suffering from severe stomach upsets and fever.
The deceased has been identified as Ezekiel Chemutai, 10, while those admitted are Isaac Chebeti, 12, Ekoka Elokelu and another only identified as Wetaka,13.
According to Muhamdi Bangoza, 16, a street child who rushed his colleagues to the hospital, the deceased collapsed shortly after eating chapati while three others started vomiting blood.
“I was told that there was a man who gave them chapati and milk in the bus park but shortly they started feeling stomach pain. They started passing blood and vomiting,” he said.
Ivan Otibini, another street child, wondered why people would “mistreat” them.
“I wonder why someone would poison our friends and yet we are also people like them. Killing us isn’t good at all. We are not happy to be on the street, ” he said.
Mr John Muganda, a spokesperson for Mbale City street children said that he was shocked when he received a call that his friends had been poisoned.
“I have never heard of such an incident of poisoning street kids in my life, the person who gave them food hasn’t been identified yet,” he said.
Mr Maganda called upon the government to settle the street children in one place.
“Through rehabilitation of these children it helps them. We have some children who just need to be counseled and they can still go back home,” he said.
He attributed the increasing number of street children in Mbale City to domestic violence.
“Most parents of these children were separated. These children need help because most of them leave their homes because of violence,” he said.
The Elgon Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, said investigations into the matter had already kicked off.
“Its suspected that they (street children) were poisoned by an unknown man who reportedly gave them chapati and milk in Bus Park at around 5 pm and later the kids developed conditions which lead one to die,” he said.
The deceased’s body was taken to Mbale regional referral hospital mortuary for postmortem.
