Police quiz father of boy whose eyes were gouged out in Kisii horror attack

baby sagini eyes gouged out

Doctors have informed them that young Junior Sagini, the victim of the horrendous attack, will remain blind for the rest of his life.

Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group

Police officers in Kisii are interrogating the father of a three-year-old boy from Ikuruma village in Marani, Kisii County, whose eyes were gouged out in a bizarre attack by unknown people.

County Police Commander Meshack Mutungi said Mr Thomas Ongaga was helping them with investigations as they try to unravel the people and motive behind the attack. He, however, insisted that they have not arrested the father, but that investigations were ongoing.

“There is an impression out there that we have arrested the father. But that is not the case, nobody has been arrested, once we do so, we shall let you know,” Dr Mutungi said.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the boy, identified as Junior Sagini, had gone to their uncle’s maize plantation together with his seven-year-old sister on Wednesday. “We do not know what they had gone to do there, but the boy went missing while they were on the farm, a search was launched, but he was not found immediately. Later, he was found dumped on the same farm, writhing in pain. His one eye was gouged out while the other had been pierced with a sharp object,” said Dr Mutungi.

Horror: Boy, 3, has his eyes gouged out in bizarre attack in Kisii

Sagini was rushed to Marani Sub-County Hospital where he received first aid before being referred to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital and later Kisii Eye Hospital for specialised care.

“We are yet to know who was behind the attack and their motive. We are also establishing what the two children were doing on their uncle’s farm,” he said.

Sunday Nation has learnt that the boy’s mother left her home sometime back after disagreeing with her husband on domestic issues. But the boy’s grandmother, Ms Rael Mayieka, gave a different version from that of the police.

She said it all started when Sagini went to fetch water on Tuesday evening from a nearby spring. He was in the company of other children but allegedly threw his jerrycan into a nearby thicket and started fleeing.

When the other children returned home, they informed Sagini’s grandmother what had happened. The granny went to the spring in search of her grandson, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“We tried to look for him, but all our efforts proved futile. The following day, his elder brother, who had gone to cut grass for the cows, pounced on him in a maize plantation and he came home panting to inform us. We rushed to the scene and found the boy writhing in pain and his eyes gouged out,” Ms Mayieka said.

Doctors at the Kisii Eye Hospital said Sagini will remain blind for the rest of his life. The facility’s medical director Dan Kiage said they received him on Wednesday evening and had to first clean up his wounds. “Though he is recovering, there is no way he is going to see again. We took him to the theatre and found out that his eyes were all gouged out with a sharp object like a knife. The attackers injured the eyelids and left dirty debris,” said Dr Kiage.

He added, “The boy is responding well, is jovial but in much pain. Nobody has paid anything and we call upon well-wishers to help the family offset the bill. We do not even know where to discharge the boy to.”

Sagini’s family has asked police to bring to book the perpetrators of the bizarre act that has left many in shock.

A community policing member Mr Edward Nyanga’u Omanga, said the little boy was found dumped on the farm around 1pm on Wednesday with his clothes soaked in blood.

“Does it mean since dawn there is no one who would have heard the boy cry? There is a footpath near where the child was found. How come no one heard about his struggles?” Mr Omanga wondered.