Police Arrest Ugandan Trying to Smuggle Missing Child at Kenya-Tanzania Border

Police have rescued a three-year-old boy who went missing in Malindi on February 13, 2026, following a dramatic cross-border operation that ended at the Hororo border between Kenya and Tanzania.

The child was recovered just as a 29-year-old Ugandan national allegedly attempted to sneak him out of the country.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives in Malindi launched an urgent search after the boy’s mother reported that her son had disappeared while she was at work in the Malindi Central area.

Investigators quickly followed forensic leads and established that the suspect, who operates a nail salon near the family’s shop, was among the last people seen interacting with the child. Witnesses said the man had called out to the boy moments before he vanished.

Working jointly with officers in Lunga Lunga and with support from Tanzanian authorities, detectives tracked the suspect’s movements south toward the border.

Thanks to the swift coordination, the joint security team intercepted the suspect at Hororo shortly before he could cross into Tanzania.

Police said the three-year-old appeared shaken but unharmed. Both the child and the suspect were handed over to Kenyan border officials for further processing.

The rescued boy was later reunited with his parents in an emotional moment in Malindi before being taken to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for medical examination.

Meanwhile, the suspect is being detained at Malindi Police Station, where he is undergoing interrogation ahead of formal charges.

The latest rescue comes amid growing concern over child abduction cases reported in 2025, which have raised fears of increased child trafficking activities in the region.

In a similar case last year, the DCI arrested two suspects linked to child trafficking and successfully recovered a three-year-old boy who had been abducted from his home in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

In another separate incident, police rescued a 14-month-old baby after she was allegedly taken by her cousin, who later fled to Kirinyaga without a clear explanation.