Police arrest Nairobi’s worst dad whose daughter sleeps on doorstep
Police have arrested a man whose 10-year-old daughter has been sleeping on the doorstep of their house in Kariobangi North for close to four years.
The man, Rashid Adan, 47, and his mother have been forcing the young girl to sleep outside, saying she brought ‘bad luck’ to the family.
The girl’s mother reportedly died four years ago.
Starehe OCPD Benard Nyakwaka said the man was arrested after neighbors raised concerns at the Kariobangi Police station.
He will be arraigned in court on Friday to answer to child neglect charges.
The Nairobi News team on Wednesday found the child seated on the doorstep with a plate of ugali and sukuma wiki. She was in her school uniform and sat on an old doormat. She claimed that she was given the food by a neighbour.
She also had a blue leso which she said would be her blanket for the night.
The soft spoken girl also had books next to her, an indication that she also did her studies right outside the house, located on the second floor of the building.
CHILDREN’S HOME
OCPD Nyakwaka said police plan to take the child to the Muthaiga Children’s home after investigations are concluded.
The girl is a class five pupil at Marura Primary School.
“We have information that the man has been claiming that the girl is not his biological daughter and that she brought bad luck to the family,” Mr Nyakwaka said.
Before the Nairobi News visited the girl on the doorstep, neighbours had complained that they had reported the matter to the police but no action had been taken.
National Youth Council Kariobangi North representative, David Wanyoike said he reported the matter to the police severally and even obtained an OB number; 38/10/8/2015 recently but no action was taken by the police.
“We feed the child whenever we can, but whenever her grandmother realizes that she has been given food, she shouts and hurls insults. We cannot even give her blankets because the old woman literally snatches them and throws them back” he had told Nairobi News.
He added that the girl had once attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself from the fifth floor of the flat but was rescued by neigbours.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
“This is not the first time we are reporting this matter. This man has been arrested severally but his mother has been using all means to get his son out,” a neighbor, James Kinyanjui said.
He said the girl’s grandmother always threatens them, telling them that they would not succeed in making the police arrest her and his son because they will be released easily.
Mr Nyakwaka said police were questioning several other, members of the family, neigbours and the caretaker of the flat.
Rashid Adan owns three Public Service Vehicles plying the Kayole- City Stadium route and has three other children who receive fairer treatment.
