House help accused of kidnapping a child in Nairobi pleads guilty to charges

A house help accused of kidnapping and attempting to kill her employer's nine-year-old child pleaded guilty to the charges at the Makadara Law Courts.

Jacinta Kanini Muia, 25, is said to have committed the offence on June 8, 2017, at Kariobangi South Civil Servants' Estate. She also pleaded guilty to three other counts.

The prosecution told the court that Muia was employed by the child's parents. State counsel Angela Fuchaka said Muai and her employer quarrelled and she left to stay with her pastor.

Planned kidnapping

While there, Muia planned to kidnap the boy from school and went with him to her boyfriend's home, where she bought soda and pesticide.

In her mitigation, Muia told the court that she was remorseful and that she was trying to revenge because her employers chased her away when she complained that she had been sexually assaulted.

Chief magistrate Heston Nyaga deferred sentencing to give her time to rethink her plea.

The case will be mentioned on June 28, 2017.[Faith Karanja]