Tension gripped Malindi after a three-year-old boy went missing on February 13, 2026, raising fears for his safety and prompting urgent action from detectives.

Authorities launched an immediate investigation, piecing together the child’s last known movements to prevent a possible tragedy. The DCI confirmed that swift coordination across borders was key to the rescue operation.

In a statement shared on X on Sunday, February 15, 2026, DCI said the 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.

“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, at the eleventh hour, cutting short what could have been a tragic tale,” the DCI statement reads.

Investigators revealed that the child’s disappearance followed a brief moment when he was left unsupervised in a busy area in Malindi Central. Forensic leads and witness accounts helped detectives track the suspect’s movements swiftly.

“On that day, around 1800 hrs, the child’s parent, who lives in the 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,” the DCI statement added.

Cross-border collaboration proved decisive in the operation, as the suspect attempted to flee into Tanzania. Authorities intercepted him at the Hororo border, rescuing the traumatised child and ensuring both were handed over safely to Kenyan police.

“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,” DCI statement continued.

The boy was swiftly reunited with his relieved parents and rushed for a medical check-up, while the suspect now faces formal charges at Malindi Police Station.