A three-year-old boy who was reported missing in Malindi on February 13, 2026, has been rescued at the Hororo border, just as the suspect allegedly attempted to sneak him out of the country.
Detectives from Malindi, working hand in hand with their counterparts in Lunga Lunga and with the support of Tanzanian authorities, pounced on the suspect, a 29-year-old Ugandan national, Arnold Ethan, at the eleventh hour, cutting short what could have been a tragic tale.
On that day, around 1800hrs, the child’s parent, who lives in Malindi Central Area, raised the alarm after her son mysteriously vanished while she was at work.
Detectives sprang into action, and utilising forensic leads, the investigators pieced together the child’s last known moments.
It was revealed that the suspect, who operates a nail parlour near the boy’s parents’ shop, was seen calling the boy. Innocent and unsuspecting, the child followed him, unaware that danger was lurking in plain sight.
From that moment, he disappeared without a trace. With determination and urgency, detectives launched a search to reunite the young boy with his family and apprehend the suspect.
In collaboration with Tanzanian authorities, they managed to apprehend Arnold Ethan at the Hororo border as he attempted to flee into Tanzania.
The boy, who was found traumatised, and the suspect were handed over to the Kenyan border police post. The suspect and child were later escorted back to Malindi.
Once safely back in Malindi, the boy was joyfully reunited with his parents and rushed to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for medical examination.
As for the suspect, he now finds himself behind bars at Malindi Police Station, where he is undergoing processing before being arraigned.
