A family in Kitengela is seeking answers following the mysterious death of their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter at a local daycare, in an incident that has raised fresh concerns over child safety standards in early learning facilities.

The minor, Joy Otieno, had been dropped off at a facility identified as Blessed Daycare earlier in the day.

According to her parents, they received a distress call from the daycare owner roughly three hours later, informing them that the child had allegedly choked on porridge and had been rushed to Kitengela Level Four Hospital.

However, upon arrival at the hospital, the parents were met with a devastating reality their daughter’s body had already been moved to the mortuary.

Medical records indicated that the child had been brought in lifeless.

Joy’s father, Nebert Otieno, recounted disturbing observations, noting that the child’s clothes were wet, her stomach appeared swollen, and there were visible blood stains on her face details that deepened the family’s suspicions about the circumstances surrounding her death.

A postmortem conducted at Kitengela Sub-County Hospital revealed that Joy died from blunt force trauma to the head, which resulted in bleeding in the brain.

The examination also detected food particles in her lungs. Pathologist Peter Ndegwa noted that such findings are unusual and may point to distress or oxygen deprivation prior to death.

Police have since arrested the daycare proprietor, who is being held at Kitengela Police Station as investigations continue. Authorities have also shut down the facility pending further inquiries.

The incident has sparked outrage among residents, with renewed calls for stricter oversight and regulation of daycare centres, particularly those operating without proper licensing.

As investigations proceed, the family continues to demand justice, while authorities urge patience as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death.