Teacher wants Saitoti widow charged with abducting ‘son’

Zachary Musengi with his mother Margaret Saitoti [Photo: Boniface Okendo/Standard]

 

By Karanja Njoroge

A Subukia teacher who claims the son of the late Internal Security Minister George Saitoti is his son wants the widow charged with wrongfully keeping in confinement a kidnapped or abducted person.

A proposed charge sheet in a Nakuru Court prepared by the teacher's lawyer contains a charge of wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement kidnapped or abducted person contrary to Section 201 of the Penal Code.    

The teacher Sebastian Maina Ngunju has gone to court seeking to be granted orders to institute a private prosecution against the late Minister’s widow Margaret Saitoti.   

 The particulars on the draft charge sheet state that on or about 31 August 1988, Margaret Saitoti unlawfully concealed and kept Zachary Musengi knowing that he had been abducted from his parents within Subukia District.  

Nakuru Principal Magistrate James Mwaniki has ordered Ngunju to serve the Saitoti’s widow who is the respondent and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as an interested party.

The Magistrate directed that the case be mentioned on November 27 for further instructions.

Ngunju alleges that the late Saitoti’s only son Zachary is his child Stephen Wachira who was abducted over 24 years ago at their home in Subukia.

The primary school teacher claims after reporting the loss of his son a suspect who was his neighbour was later arrested and confessed she had been contacted by a police officer to get him a child.

The father of five children adds that he has only managed to bring up the four after his third born son was abducted 21 days before his third birthday at their home in Subukia.     

He says that after establishing that the only son of the former Minister is his son he has been unable to pursue the matter after receiving threats over the issue.

He said that he confirmed his suspicion after spotting ‘’his son” on live Television during the late Minister’s burial.  

He said that upon the death of Saitoti, he saw his son sitting next to the Minister’s wife being described as the Minister’ only son.

“To my surprise it was him he resembles my children and without any doubt I recognized him,” he added.

The teacher who says he is not interested in money from the late Minister claims a lady was charged with the alleged abduction following the intervention of the then CID Director Noah Arap Too.

The family in a letter addressed to Zachary Musengi says it can be able to take care of him as his ‘’siblings’’ have been educated up to the University.

In his affidavit he states that it was during the investigations that he learnt about the whereabouts of his son from CID officers who were involved in the investigations.

He claims that that during the hearing  of the abduction case one of the investigating officers told him that his son was taken by the then Vice President Professor Saitoti and was studying abroad.

Ngunju states that the abduction case was terminated abruptly after he was threatened.

He claims that he once tried working as a mason in the late Saitoti’s home with the hope of meeting his son but he was unsuccessful.

Ngunju said he has contacted Catholic Church head John Cardinal Njue to broker a meeting between Saitoti’s wife and his son but has not been successful.

A bond for him to appear before court to give evidence against one Mary Wambui in case where she had been accused of stealing a child in 1990 has been attached in the papers filed in court.