Boy in agony after he's beaten, burnt by father

16-year-old minor recuperating at a hospital on May 1, 2024, after he was allegedly assaulted by the father for over two hours. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

A 16-year-old boy is nursing serious burns and cut injuries at a Nakuru hospital after he was assaulted by his father in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County.

The boy, who sustained injuries on the head, leg, hands, and back is undergoing treatment at the facility where he was taken by well-wishers.

Speaking from his hospital bed, the minor said his father assaulted him for two hours Sunday evening after he took Sh5,000 he had saved.

“I took the Sh5,000, bought a phone and some books in readiness for school opening,” he said.

He said he said his father had declined to give him the money he had asked for because he was not performing well in school. The boy said he did not tell his father after he took the money last week.

He added that his father had earlier picked a quarrel with him for grazing his neighbour’s cows. His stepmother, he added, was also against the idea of him grazing their neighbour’s cow. He said their neighbour would pay him Sh30 every day.

“My dad got mad and quarrelled me for grazing our neighbour’s cows, I had to run away from home for two days but would come back to graze our animals. I even sought forgiveness from him,” he said.

He said on Sunday, his father sought to know whether he was the one who took his savings before he started beating him. He said his father used a piece of wood and a metal rod to hit him, and that he sustained cut injuries on the hand while struggling to grab a knife from him.

“He tied a rope around my neck and tied me around a tree and continued hitting me before asking my stepmother to bring him a nylon paper and a mattress which he lit and had it melting and dropping on my body and private parts,” he said.

Kiminini OCPD John Onditi said the minor’s father was released on a free bond. He, however, noted that the minor stole Sh72,000 and not Sh5,000. He said the money was meant for school fees.

“The father was mad at the boy for taking the money. We arrested him and released him, he is out on free bond and he is not a flight risk,” said Onditi.

Onditi said once the boy is out of the hospital, his father will be re-arrested and charged with assault, and the minor will be charged with stealing.