Baby Sagini case: Mother, son contradict as Kisii Court cross-examines suspects
Alex Ochogo (left) and his mother Pacificah Nyakerario. A statement by Ochogo was contradicted by his mother who said she had left her son at their home on the fateful day.
Alex Ochogo, a key suspect in the case of baby Junior Sagini has told a Kisii Court that he was not at home on the day his cousin was savagely attacked.
Baby Sagini’s eyes were gouged out in the horrendous assault in December last year, leaving the three-year-old boy permanently blind.
But Ochogo’s statement was contradicted by his mother, Pacificah Nyakerario, when she said she had left her son at their home in Ikuruma village, Marani Sub County, on the fateful day when Sagini was reported missing.
Notably, during the cross-examination of Ms Nyakerario, who is also a suspect in the case, the evidence by a witness, who Ochogo admitted to be his girlfriend, featured a lot.
The woman who is currently under witness protection had told the court that on that fateful day, Ochogo returned home drunk and left with a knife allegedly to commit the crime before wrapping the minor in a sack and later dumping him in a maize farm.
This came out during the defense hearing for the two accused on Friday in which mother and son are seeking to absolve themselves from the attack of the three-year-old boy.
Ms Nyakerario explained that she had traveled to Nairobi for the first time in her life, coincidentally on the same day Sagini was reported missing.
“Yes, it is true that I travelled to Nairobi. It was the first time I had travelled to the city in my life. But I had gone to see my sick daughter and take her some herbal medicine,” said Ms Nyakerario as she responded to Prosecutor Hillary Kaino during the cross-examination.
She, however, said she had not availed any witness in court including her ‘sick’ daughter because they (the witnesses) feared court.
Ms Nyakerario revealed that earlier in the day before Sagini went missing, she had attended a burial in the village and was later forced to travel to Nairobi at 4pm to attend to her sick daughter.
Ochogo on the other hand alleged that he was away from home for a week when Sagini was attacked, noting that he had gone to a construction site at Kegogi.
He later alleged that on the fateful day when his cousin was attacked, he was at a drinking den with Sagini’s father somewhere far from home.
Ochogo, however, had a difficult time explaining to the prosecution how he was in three different places at a go after it turned out that he had also gone to escort her mother who was travelling to Nairobi on the fateful day.
Ochogo, his mother and Sagini's grandmother, Rael Mayaka will continue with their defense on May 5.
“The defense is allowed the last adjournment as requested by their lawyer. The first accused (Ochogo) has also been adversely mentioned by the second accused (Nyakerario) during her cross-examination. There being no objection by the state to recall the first accused is allowed,” said Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno.
The three suspects are facing a charge of causing grievous harm to baby Sagini between December 13 and 14, 2022 and they pleaded not guilty to the offense.
Baby Sagini is currently under state protection.
