In Geta, Kipipiri, two little boys, one barely six, the other still learning to speak, have been pulled out of a home that had become a place of fear. Their backs and feet carry marks that no child should ever know. The older boy’s back is burned, the skin darkened and peeling where a hot panga was pressed onto him. His younger brother’s tiny feet were burned the same way, feet that should only know play, grass, dust and warm floors. They appear malnourished.
The abuse did not happen in a single day. It was prolonged. It appeared deliberate. And it is believed to have been carried out by their father, a man whom locals describe as addicted to hard drugs and increasingly violent. The children’s mother, currently breastfeeding a six-month-old and pregnant again, is said to have endured years of intimidation and assault in the same home. Overwhelmed and mentally distressed, she fled to her uncle’s home in desperation, with her child clinging to her side.
“We received reports from residents and moved quickly. The children were in real danger,” said Charles Muikia, who works in the office of Nyandarua County Woman Representative. “Our first priority was to get them to the hospital and ensure they were placed somewhere safe.”
The boys were taken to hospital, where doctors treated their injuries and issued P3 forms to document the assault. They have since been placed in a children’s home in Ndaragwa under the care of Father Baldo, where they are receiving medical treatment, counseling, and daily care in a safe environment.
The father, the main suspect in the abuse, is currently on the run, with police and local administration actively pursuing him.
Speaking on the matter, Nyandarua County Woman Representative Hon. Faith Gitau noted:
“The children had clear signs of repeated assault. We ensured they were treated and moved to a safe children’s home, as their mother is not in a stable state. The suspect is being pursued. Communities must speak up sooner. Children cannot protect themselves.”
The case has raised concern about the silent suffering many Kenyan children endure behind closed doors, where abuse is often known but rarely reported.
Child protection is not just the work of government or institutions, it is the responsibility of every adult who notices something is wrong. Abuse thrives when communities remain silent.
If you suspect or witness a child being mistreated, report immediately through a Child Helpline,the nearest Chief or Police Station or Health workers or teachers
The two boys from Kipipiri are now safe. They are healing slowly, learning routine, learning predictability, learning touch that does not hurt. But many other children remain unseen, unheard, and unprotected.
Protecting them requires all of us. Silence is how abuse survives. Speaking is how children are saved.
