A three-year-old boy who went missing in Malindi has been found alive at the Horohoro Border after detectives intercepted a man suspected of attempting to take him out of the country.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the child was reported missing on the evening of February 13, after his mother, who lives in the town’s central area, returned from work and discovered he had disappeared.
Investigators said early inquiries revealed that the suspect, a 29-year-old Ugandan national, Arnold Ethan, operated a nail parlour near the family’s shop and had been seen calling the child shortly before he went missing. Detectives traced the boy’s movements using forensic leads, which suggested a possible attempt to move him towards the Tanzania border.
Officers from Malindi worked jointly with colleagues in Lunga Lunga and coordinated with authorities in Tanzania, leading to the suspect’s arrest at Horohoro as he allegedly tried to cross the border with the child.
Police said the boy appeared distressed when recovered and was later reunited with his parents before being taken to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for medical assessment.
The suspect is being held at Malindi Police Station and is expected to be charged in court once investigations are complete. Authorities said inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing.