City woman in court for stealing, selling her househelp’s newborn

The three suspects when they appeared at Makadara law courts.

Photo credit: Joseph Ndunda | Nation Media Group

A woman suspected of stealing selling her nanny's newborn baby was charged with human trafficking alongside a couple who were allegedly found with the child.

Veronica Nyaboke was charged alongside Grace Kemunto and her husband Robert Ombati and they are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony – trafficking a person jointly.

The three are accused of committing the offence in Kayole in Nairobi on August 20 jointly with a suspect who is still at large.

They are also facing a charge of trafficking in a person contrary to section 4(1) (b) as read with section 4 (3) of the Counter Trafficking In Persons Act of 2010.

The couple were found with the child in their home in Tassia within Embakasi in Nairobi during police investigations after the matter was reported at Kayole police station.

The baby’s mother delivered the child at Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital in Kayole on August 20 before proceeding to her employer – Nyaboke’s house where the child was allegedly stolen the same day.

The woman had slept beside her child in Nyaboke's house where she worked as a househelp, and woke up to find the child missing.

Upon asking, she was informed by her employer that the child had been taken to Keroka in Kisii County for some rituals.

The child’s mother waited for a week to reunite with the child to no avail.

She later travelled to Kisii to look for her child but could not trace the child.

She returned to Nairobi and reported the matter at Kayole police station and police began investigations by visiting the hospital where she delivered to ascertain her claims that she had delivered at the facility.

The investigations led police to the couple’s house where Kemunto was arrested whil allegedly attempting to flee.

The baby was rescued and Ombati, who was found in the house, was also arrested.

The trio denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Eric Mutunga of Makadara law courts.

They were released on a bond of Sh3 million without an option of a cash bail.

The case will be mentioned on October 4 before hearing starts on January 26 next year.