Parents have been left in shock after a two-year-old baby girl died after she allegedly swallowed an uncooked bean seed in Machakos with the rate at which toddlers in Kenya are dying of preventable food-related issues and choking on the rise.
According to the parents, the girl died immediately after swallowing the seed.
The incident occurred at Katheka village in Mwala Sub County on Wednesday.
Area chief Francis Musembi said that the body of the child has been moved to Machakos Level 5 Hospital mortuary.
On December 14, last year, Mr Steve Opar and his wife Wendy Audrey left their son in the care of their house help at St Mary’s Estate in Nakuru Town, as they usually did only to learn later that he mysteriously died of choking.
In February 2017, a two-month-old baby boy was being fed milk by his eight-year-old sister when he choked and died. The sister told police and neigbours she was feeding the toddler with milk when it choked the baby killing him on the spot.
“The mother of the children says she had left the two in her house and went out only to be informed of the tragedy. We are investigating,” said Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome then.
The child was found lifeless by locals after the sister screamed for help as the baby choked. The body was moved to the mortuary.
Similarly, April last year, Police arrested a house help in Bungoma county in connection with the death of an 8 month old baby who was suspected to have chocked to death.
The househelp Bilha Kadege suspiciously disappeared after the death.
In January last year, two children died after consuming cassava in Siaya County.
The father is said to have bought the cassava from a neighbor at Ksh.50 and prepared them for lunch for his five children aged between one and 11 years.
In August 2011, a young couple — Alice and Anthony Kibagendi — welcomed their first child, a daughter whom they named Amara.
However, six-month-old Amara died when she choked on food while being fed by her nanny. Her parents were crushed.
“It was sudden, something we had never imagined would happen. It was unbelievable that she was with us one minute, and the next she was gone, without warning. Losing a child is the worst form of tragedy that any parent can go through. It is a kind of pain that pierces right through your heart,” Alice says.
Here is advice on what to do with a choking baby: