23-year-old woman charged with kidnapping

PHOTO:COURTESY

A 23-year-old woman has been charged with kidnapping a baby at a church in Nairobi.

Mercy Akinyi Otieno allegedly took away the one and a half month old baby during service at Jesus Teaching Ministry along Haile Selassie Avenue on January 31, 2017.

The prosecution said Ms Akinyi intended to deprive the baby's mother, Jeridah Oundo of lawful care of the child. Akinyi denied the charges before chief magistrate Francis Andayi.

Ms Oundo had attended the service with her husband Peter Wanjala and their son. She went to change the baby on the first floor, where she met Akinyi.

Akinyi is said to have sparked a conversation. 

It is alleged that when Oundo realised that they were from the same village, Khayega, she gave Akinyi the child to hold as she proceeded to another floor to buy water. She returned and later left Akinyi with the baby for a second time, this time she had gone to pick her handbag.

But when she returned, Akinyi was nowhere to be seen. The matter was reported at DCI Kamukunji on January 1, 2017 and a probe was launched.

Akinyi was traced to Ongata Rongai. Yesterday, the prosecution claimed that the accused was found with the child during arrest.

The prosecution asked the court to remand Akinyi, who is from Kitale, on grounds that she was likely to interfere with witnesses.

But Andayi was not convinced to he released her on a Sh500,000 bond with two sureties of the same amount. The matter will be mentioned on February 27, 2017.

Meanwhile, a manager at Safaricom has been charged with stealing 814 mobile phones worth Sh69.5 million.

Stanley Mjomba denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Charity Aluoch. He is said to have committed the offence between April 12, 2016 and December 23 at Safaricom centre Westlands in his capacity as an account relationship manager.

He was freed on a Sh3 million bond or a Sh1 million cash bail.