Ruai: Four-year-old dies after suspected poisoning by house help over salary dispute

A family in Ruai is mourning the death of their four-year-old daughter, who allegedly died after being poisoned by a house help following a salary dispute.

The incident, first shared by Nairobi County's Geoffrey Mosiria, has triggered public outrage and renewed concern over domestic worker vetting and safety.

According to the child’s mother, Anne Wanjiru, the house help had been recruited through a local bureau under a clear agreement that her KSh6,000 salary would be paid on the third day of the month.

“Our agreement was that she would be paid on the 3rd because that is when she started working. On Friday, she called and demanded her salary immediately,” Ms. Wanjiru explained. “When I told her I had not yet been paid myself, she told me to pick my child from the neighbour because she was quitting.”

JOYCE ONYANGO, A HOUSE MAID, ALLEGEDLY KILLED A 4-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

Joyce Onyango, a housemaid in Ruai, is suspected to have poisoned and killed a 4-year-old baby girl following a disagreement with her employer, who is the child’s mother. Joyce is reportedly from Kisumu and is… pic.twitter.com/z14DKeoIPk

— Geoffrey Mosiria (@HonMosiria) May 2, 2026

Ms. Wanjiru said she rushed home and picked up her daughter that evening, but quickly noticed the child was unwell.

“She kept complaining of stomach pain and even vomited when I tried to feed her,” she recalled. “I managed to put her to sleep at around 9PM, hoping she would feel better,” she said.

The child’s condition reportedly worsened later that night. “At about 11 PM, I checked on her and found her cold and unresponsive. That is when I knew something was terribly wrong,” the mother said. With the help of a neighbour, the child was rushed to RFH Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect, identified as Joyce Onyango from Kisumu, is said to have fled shortly after the incident.

Preliminary reports indicate she switched off her phone around Githurai.

The child’s body has been moved to Kenyatta University Funeral Home as police intensify efforts to trace her and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.