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Baby Sagini’s grandmother, aunt and cousin gouged out his eyes, court told

Ms Rael Nyakerario Mayaka, the grandmother of Baby Sagini

Ms Rael Nyakerario Mayaka, the grandmother of Baby Sagini (inset). 

Photo credit: Ondari Ogega | Nation Media Group

Baby Sagini’s grandmother, aunt and cousin gouged out the three-year-old boy’s eyes, an investigating officer told a Kisii court on Monday.

While testifying at the Kisii Law Courts on, the officer said Pacificah Nyakerario (aunt), Alex Ochogo (cousin) and Rael Mayaka (grandmother) committed the heinous act and should be prosecuted. 

 “After committing the offence between December 13 and 14 of 2022, Nyakerario immediately left for Nairobi where she was arrested by DCI officers and escorted to Kisii County,” said the investigating officer.

He said data from Safaricom showed that Nyakerario was at home when the three-year-old boy was attacked. 

Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno, the officer said he interrogated a witness whom he later learned was Ochogo’s girlfriend.

The witness reportedly saw everything on December 13, 2022, the day the boy disappeared.

“The witness said she saw Nyakerario, Ochogo and Mayaka putting the child into a sack which they later abandoned in a maize farm,” said the officer.

She said Ochogo warned her not to tell anyone what she had seen. 

“She further stated that on the day the baby was found in a maize plantation, Ochogo, who was armed with a knife, had blood stains on his face. 

The witness had last week told the court that she was threatened to conceal the crime but when she declined, she was ejected from the home.

She said that Ochogo committed the savage attack and that there were frantic efforts by the suspects to have the crime concealed.

The woman who is currently under witness protection testified before Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno during a special hearing at the scene of the crime in Ikuruma village, Marani Sub County on Friday.

She told the court that on that fateful day, Ochogo returned home drunk and left with a knife which he used to commit the crime before dumping the minor in a maize farm.

During the court proceedings, Sagini's grandmother, Rael Mayaka, identified the scene where her grandson was found after the attack.

The three suspects are facing a charge of causing grievous harm to baby Sagini between December 13 and 14, 2022. They pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The case is set to resume on April 6, 2023.

On March 11, 2023, baby Sagini told a Kisii Court that it was his grandmother, Rael Mayaka, who committed the heinous act. 

Sagini is currently under state protection.