Ugandan woman arrested after attempting to steal baby from Bungoma hospital

Police in Bungoma are presently detaining a 22-year-old Ugandan woman who allegedly attempted to steal a baby from Lugulu Mission Hospital.

Josephine Nafula, who is married to a Kenyan man, was brought to the facility on Monday night by her mother-in-law after allegedly complaining of labour pains.

Jackson Fukwo, the hospital administrator, told Citizen Digital that the woman – who had been transferred from Makhonge dispensary – was admitted at the maternity wing where she spent the night.

“We examined her by checking her pressure and conducting a few tests but we did not find her with the antenatal clinic cards that we usually look at to a certain whether she has been attending clinic,” said Mr. Fukwo.

He stated that Nafula refused to be examined in the morning when doctors were conducting normal routine checkup in the maternity; an act that raised eye brows.

“When we keenly looked at her we found that she had wrapped rags in her tummy, we then did a pregnancy test on her and discovered that she wasn’t pregnant,” he added.

The rags were then forcefully removed and police called who then took her to Webuye Police Station where, upon interrogation, she confessed that she had had four miscarriages in past marriages.

She added that the forth one occurred only recently but she did not want her husband to know since she feared he would divorce her.

Mr. Fukwo further added that they suspect Nafula was planning to steal one of the babies belonging to another woman who gave birth to twins at the facility on the same night.

Confirming the incident, Bungoma East police boss Valerian Obore said investigations are presently underway and – if found culpable – the woman will be charged in court.