A mother in Mumias, Kakamega County, is living through an agonising ordeal after her two-year-old daughter disappeared with a teenage girl she had taken into her home.

Sarah Nanjala , 30, says she has spent the past month searching for her daughter, Abigile Amani, without success.

The disappearance has left Nanjala traumatised and suffering from a stress-related illness as she continues to hold on to hope of finding her child.

Nanjala said the girl, who identified herself as 18-year-old Aliya, disappeared with Amani from their home in Bomani, Mumias, on July 26 at about 3pm.

She said she had met Aliya in Nairobi after finding her surrounded by street boys near the OTC area.

“While in Nairobi, as I was coming from work around the OTC area, I saw a girl being surrounded by street boys. I went to find out what was happening and was told she was lost and had no relatives,” Nanjala said.

Moved by the girl’s plight, Nanjala said she took her to Mukuru kwa Reuben Police Station, where an occurrence book entry was made.

She said police later contacted and asked her to take Aliya home and stay with her as efforts were made to trace her relatives.

“The girl said she had no contacts for her family. She looked naive. I picked her and took her to my house after an OB was recorded,” she said.

Nanjala said she later returned to the police station after about a month but was advised to continue taking care of Aliya as her family was still being sought.

According to Nanjala, Aliya said she came from Kapchorua in Mount Elgon.

Struggling financially and with her children based in Mumias, Nanjala decided to take Aliya to Western Kenya, where she was received by her husband, Charles Awinda, on July 10.

She said Aliya stayed with the family for about two weeks and interacted with her four children, including Amani.

“On July 26, when everyone was away and she was left with the child, she left with her,” Nanjala said. She said her husband called her at around 9pm to inform her that Aliya and their daughter were missing.

“I went to Mukuru kwa Reuben Police Station to report, but I was told it was another county and that I should travel to Mumias and report there. I immediately left for home. We then reported the matter at Mumias Police Post,” she said.

Nanjala said Aliya also disappeared with Sh600 and some clothes, while a neighbour told her she had seen the teenager leaving with Amani.

The distraught mother said she has since travelled to the Mount Elgon area in search of her daughter and visited several churches, but all her efforts have been unsuccessful.

“I have gone to the Mount Elgon to search for my child but in vain. I have gone to several churches and prayed, but my child has not come back,” she said.

She is now appealing to anyone with information about Amani or Aliya’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.

“All I want is my child. It is not easy as a mother because this has created enmity between me and my husband. I took that girl in as a mother because if you are a parent, you cannot allow a lost child to suffer on the streets. I did not know she could do this to me,” Nanjala said.

Kakamega County Police Commander said police had received the report and were working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to trace the missing child.

Nanjala is hoping that anyone who may have encountered Amani since her disappearance will provide information that could help reunite her with her family.