Linet Munala, the Mlolongo mother accused of poisoning her three young children, broke down in front of police and blamed the devil for what she did. The 28-year-old woman from Phase 3 in Machakos County told officers she wanted to hurt her husband because of ongoing troubles at home, but now she says regret hits her hard.
It all unfolded on a quiet Monday morning in Neema Plaza, a residential block where the family lived. Neighbors woke up to screams and chaos as the kids – four-year-old Adrian Ochieng and his one-year-old twin sisters Kyla Ann and Keilah Kerubo – started vomiting and collapsing after eating porridge. Paramedics rushed them to hospital, but doctors couldn’t save them. The little ones passed away one by one while getting treatment.
Police moved fast. They found traces of poison in the food and arrested Munala later that day in nearby Syokimau, where she had tried to hide. At Mlolongo Police Station, she opened up about what pushed her over the edge. “Ni shetani aliniingia,” she said, meaning the devil got into her. “Naomba mnisamehe, sitarudia.”
She begged for forgiveness and promised it would never happen again. Then came the raw admission: she wanted to punish her husband Alex Mogeni because he kept giving her problems.
“Nilikuwa nataka kupunish mzee wangu sababu ananisumbua,” she explained. But in the same breath, she added how much she regrets it now. “Sahi naregret sana. Sikuwa nafikiria vizuri.” She wasn’t thinking straight, she insisted.
Reports say the trouble started with a phone call. Munala allegedly heard something about her husband cheating while he was away in Nairobi. That set her off. Instead of confronting him directly, she mixed poison into the morning porridge the children loved. By the time anyone realized what was wrong, it was too late.
Alex Mogeni came home to the worst news imaginable. Video footage shows him collapsing in tears outside the apartment, unable to speak through the sobs. Friends and relatives held him up as he tried to process losing all three children at once.
The twins were barely walking, and Adrian had just started playing like any energetic four-year-old. Now the family home sits empty, surrounded by neighbours who still can’t believe it happened right under their noses.
Word spread quickly across Mlolongo and beyond. People gathered in small groups outside Neema Plaza, shaking their heads and whispering about how domestic fights can turn deadly.
Many pointed fingers at the pressure women face in tough marriages, especially when money is tight and trust breaks down. Others talked about the need for better help – counselling centres or hotlines where someone like Munala could have turned before things went this far.
Detectives continue their work. They’ve taken samples from the scene and questioned everyone close to the family. Munala remains locked up as they build the case. Charges will likely come soon, and court appearances will follow. In Kenya, cases like this draw huge attention because they hit at the heart of family life.
This isn’t the first time a parent has snapped under strain. Similar stories pop up now and then – a mother or father making a terrible choice in a moment of anger or despair. Mental health experts keep saying more needs to be done. Free services, community talks, and even church programs could catch people before they fall apart.
For now, Mlolongo mourns three innocent lives cut short. The twins would have turned two soon. Adrian might have started school. Their father faces years of pain ahead, raising memories instead of kids. Prayers go out for peace. And everyone hopes lessons come from this heartbreak – that arguments stay between adults, and help is there if someone asks.
