Family’s agony as child is stolen

Monica Gathai, the mother of the stolen baby, outside Nakuru Central Police Station.[Photo: Kipsang Joseph/Standard]

By Robert Kiplagat

Nakuru, Kenya: Agony gripped a family at Pangani estate in Nakuru town after a house girl disappeared with their 11-month old baby boy.

According to the mother of the child, Mrs Monica Gathai, the maid identified as Sharyl Atieno,19, who had been with the family for only 14 days, was with the baby and two other children aged six and four when she disappeared with the little one.

“I went to work in the morning and returned later to breastfeed the baby but when I arrived at the house, I only found the two children,” said Mrs Gathai.

She narrated that upon inquiry, she was informed that the househelp was spotted boarding a boda boda with the baby.

She reported the incident to Bondeni Police Station.

Phone signal

Officers probing the incident said the signal from the house girl’s number indicated that she was somewhere in Nyahururu.

“The signal at around 2pm indicated that the owner of the mobile phone was somewhere around Nyahururu. I only want my child,” said Gathai, fighting back tears.

She said she has had no differences with the house girl and wondered why she would disappear with her baby.

Gathai said she hired Atieno two weeks ago after being referred to her by her auntie Emily Muruka, a neighbour.

“My neighbour broughtme the girl two weeks ago and being someone I have known for years, I hired her. I did not suspect anything,” said the teary Gathai.

 Muruka said the turn of events had even caught her by surprise because Atieno had never been to Nakuru.

She said she may have colluded with someone who has lived in the town for quite some time to steal the baby.

“She was a humble girl and she told me in December when I had gone home to look for her that she can do any job. Early this month, I sent her fare to come and work for Gathai and I didn’t know that she would turn out to be a child thief,” said Muruka.