A 62-year-old man has been arrested in Kajiado County on suspicion of child trafficking and defilement after police found him with four children in a bedsitter at Korompoi Trading Centre in Isinya.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed the suspect’s identity as Enock Peterson Mwangi also known as Mwamburi Mwandeme, indicating that his arrest followed an intelligence-led operation. The children found with him, aged 17, 16, five and one year and four months, led detectives to investigate how the man had come into contact with them.

“The discovery immediately triggered deeper investigations into the circumstances under which the children came to be in his custody,” the DCI noted. “A subsequent search of a house associated with the suspect in Mashuuru Township yielded a cache of items that have raised further questions.”

Detectives subsequently searched a house associated with the suspect in Mashuuru Township, where they recovered several items, including bags containing children’s clothing ranging from newborn to teenage sizes.

Among the items recovered from the house were bags of children’s clothing in various sizes from new-born to teenage years. The items also included baby shawls, blankets, a baby carrier, baby shoes, men’s clothing, six mattresses, empty diaper carrier bags, duvets, pillows and various foodstuffs.

It has yet to be determined whether any of the items found at the house belong to the children or if they had been abandoned by the family.

“The items are currently being inventoried and investigated to determine their relevance to the case,” the DCI added.

Meanwhile, the DCI has kept the suspect in custody as inquiries continue to determine the exact circumstances in which the children had come under his care. The four children discovered with the suspect have been placed under the watch of caretakers and will undergo medical tests.

The authority has yet to confirm the exact relationship between the children and the man, nor has it made any information about the children’s personal lives public. It is currently reported that investigations continue into the allegations levelled against the suspect, while he has yet to enter any form of trial or court proceedings for the alleged crimes.