Baby Sagini attack: Police arrest main suspect Pacificah Nyakirario, 60

Simba Arati

Kisii Governor Simba Arati visits Junior Sagini at the Kisii Eye Hospital on December 18, 2022.

Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group

Police in Nairobi have arrested the main suspect in the attack that left a three-year-old boy blind.

Marani police boss Benjolife Munuve said Pacificah Nyakirario, 60, was arrested in Nairobi on Monday evening. 

Nyakirario is the mother of Ochogo.

She had travelled to Nairobi the day baby Junior Sagini was found dumped in a maize plantation.

"She will be arraigned in court later in the day," said Mr Munuve.

Meanwhile, Kisii Governor Simba Arati has announced that the boy and his elder sister will be transferred to a safe house in Nairobi.

Sagini and his sister Shantel Onganga, 7, will be transferred to a rehabilitation centre after the intervention of CS for Public Service, Gender and affirmative Action Aisha Jumwa.

Mr Arati said that he had received a call from Ms Jumwa, informing him of government's commitment to ensure the children were transferred to the rehabilitation centre for treatment, support and care.

“The CS in charge of Gender has agreed that the two children be taken to a rehabilitation centre as soon as possible. I have ordered for a county vehicle to be made available and arrangements be made to take the children to the home,” Mr Arati said.

This intervention came a few hours after Kisii Women Representative Dorice Aburi, her Busia counterpart Catherine Omanyo and nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba visited Ms Jumwa in her office in Nairobi and shared with her the traumatic experience the boy had gone through after the vicious attack that has left him blind.

During the meeting, Ms Aburi said they discussed how best the boy and his sister can be supported after going through the ordeal.

Ms Aburi said the Gender based violence and rescue centre in Kisii town is expected to start operating after the facility had been equipped.

“Our plan is to ensure the gender based violence and rescue centre in Kisii is equipped and operational,” Ms Aburi said.

Officers from Children Protection Services visited the home of the children and left with Shantel after a brief consultation with relatives.

A cousin of the boy, Alex Maina Ochogo has been arrested in connection with bizarre attack.

Mr Ochogo was arraigned on Monday before Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno at the Kisii Law court.

Mr Hillary Kaino for the prosecution asked the court to detain the accused in police custody for five days to enable detectives to complete investigations.

The accused has been remanded at the Rioma police station until Friday when the case will be mentioned.

The magistrate ordered the officer in charge of the station to ensure that Ochogo's security is guaranteed while in custody.

Doctor Dan Kiage, who has been attending to the boy at Kisii Eye Hospital, regretted that the child will no longer gain his eyesight.

“There is nothing under the sun that can be done to restore the boy's eyesight because all the eyes were crudely taken out with something like a sharp object,” Dr Kiage said.

Sagini was discovered abandoned in a maize farm on December, 14 after he had gone missing from home.

His grandmother, Rael Mayieka, said she had sent the boy with other children to fetch some water from a nearby spring but the boy never returned.