Two in court after feeding whiskey to toddler at Christmas party

The child protection unit of the police has arrested two men after a video of a three-year-old sipping whiskey went viral on social media.

Edward Ndirangu Muhuka, 22, and Abdulmajid Hassan Arafat, 19, were arrested Thursday in Thindigua and Pangani estates. 

At some point, the undated clip of the child being fed alcohol was shared by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, leading to uproar from members of the public and calls for action against those involved. 

In the video, one of the men is seen pouring alcohol into a tumbler and asking the little boy to take a sip. They laugh as the toddler takes the drink and makes a face. 

It is not clear how the video first got on social media, but it is reported that the boy's mother had retired to bed early only to be woken up at 2am by concerned friends when the clip leaked online.

According to the Criminal Investigations (DCI), the duo had gatecrashed a Christmas party.

The two men were arraigned at the Kiambu Law Courts on Thursday, where the first accused pleaded guilty and the second accused not guilty to charges of failing to protect a child from drugs and substance abuse, contrary to Section 24 (1) (a) as read with Section 24 (2) of the Children Act No. 29 of 2022. 

The second accused was given a bond of Sh200,000 and a surety of a similar amount.

The case will be mentioned on January 18, 2023.

In Kenya, it is prohibited to sell, serve, or supply alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 18.