Five in Mavuno Church child kidnap saga jailed

Raphael Nderitu, Monica Wangui, Anne Wambui and Anne Nyambura at Milimani Law Courts Wednesday. [PHOTO: DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD]

NAIROBI, KENYA: Five people accused of kidnapping a six-year-old girl at Mavuno Church in Nairobi have been sentenced to 16 years in jail for kidnap, theft and related charges.

The accused will serve five years for kidnapping a child under the age of 14 years with intent to steal, seven years for stealing money from the parents of the girl while she was in their hands and four years for related charges. The sentences will run concurrently.

Milimani Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndung'u said in her judgement despite the accused having spent two years in remand, the offence was serious and did not warrant mercy from the court.

Ms Ndung'u noted the court was satisfied that Charity Wakonyo, Anne Nyambura, Anne Wambui, Monica Wangui and Raphael Nderitu Maina were with their victim. The girl was kidnapped on September 30, 2012, by two women who had gone to the church and claimed they were escorting her to her parents, only for them to disappear until she was rescued by police from a house in Kariobangi.

"One can imagine the tormenting experience the family went through during the period their child was in the hands of the kidnappers. For this reason, the court holds that all the accused persons were culpable for the offence and they will have to suffer for the consequences of their actions," Ndung'u ruled.