Woman charged with kidnapping baby in Nairobi church

A woman has been arraigned in a Nairobi court and charged with abducting a one-and-a-half-month-old baby during a church service in Nairobi.

The baby’s mother who was in the company of her husband left the service on the second floor to change baby’s diaper in the changing room on the first floor.

The court heard that she met Mercy Akinyi Otieno in the changing room who claimed that the service was boring and that she (Akinyi) decided to rest in the changing room.

The two women introduced themselves to each other and became friends within no time.

The baby’s mother then realised that she needed to pick something from her bag which was with her husband in the church, and decided to leave her baby with her new found friend, who then disappeared with the baby.

Akinyi is accused that on 31st Jan 2017 at Jesus Teaching Ministry in Kahawa House, along Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi, fraudulently took away baby Emmanuel Wanjala Muganda with intent to deprive Jerida Oundo Shitanda, the parent, who has lawful care of possession of the said child.

Akinyi was denied bail but has been granted Ksh500 bond with two sureties of similar amounts.

Nairobi-Milimani Court Principal Magistrate Francis Andayi directed that the case be mentioned on 27th February 2017.