Joy as family reunites with baby stolen a week ago

Kwale,Kenya: It was joy at Diani dispensary on Tuesday after a young family reunited with their first born baby stolen a week ago.

Esther Moraa and husband Enock Angwenyi were besides themselves as they received the baby, some six days after it was taken away.

"I thank God. It is a miracle and I am so happy," said the mother. She warned other women not to trust anyone with their children.

Ms Moraa lost her baby after entrusting it with a stranger as she went into the hospital to meet a doctor. The stranger disappeared with the baby but apparently did not go far away and began to nurse the infant as her very own.

"Today morning I went to Ibiza market and told women of my missing kid. While here I met a lady who works with the children's department and who asked me to give her the pictures of the baby and my contacts as she was suspecting someone," said Mr Angwenyi as he related the events leading to the reunion.

Angwenyi said he later received a call from the woman who asked him to go back to the market and he was taken to a house where they found the baby was lying on a bed with the suspected thief beside it.

"I was really elated and immediately called the police who came and arrested the woman," he said.

The baby was taken to the dispensary where nurses administered tests to establish its health condition. They said the baby was alright although it had lost weight, from 10.3 kilogrammes to 9.3 kilogrammes.

Msambweni OCPD Joseph Omijah  said the woman will be arraigned in court.

FAMILY PLANNING

Moraa had gone to the hospital to have a family planning injection when the baby was stolen.

"I met a woman in her mid-thirties at the waiting line. We spoke a lot with the woman who later requested to assist me with carrying the baby," said the 23-year-old.

When her turn to see the nurse came, the  woman told her not to bother as she would join her inside.

" I proceeded inside but after the injection, the woman was nowhere to be seen," she added.

Moraa and her husband later reported the matter at the Diani Police Station.

Phanice Omega, a nurse at the dispensary, described the incident as shocking. She said that the incident is the first one ever to be reported at the facility.