City Hall is investigating if a pregnant woman arrested on Friday for lying she delivered her baby at Pumwani Maternity Hospital and said it was stolen is part of a cartel colluding with staff to steal and swap babies.
Yesterday, Health executive Bernard Muia said: “We strongly believe she might be part of the cartel. We have been trying to nab these people for a year. There have been very many cases of babies being stolen or swapped.”
Christine Nashire had claimed she delivered her baby on Wednesday night and it was stolen by a nurse. On Thursday morning, she reported the “theft” at the Shauri Moyo police station and officers launched investigations.
Pumwani superintendent Lazarus Omondi said: “We checked our records and confirmed she has never been to the hospital. In fact, a test confirmed she is still pregnant.”
After interrogation, Nashire confessed she had never visited the facility. She said she wanted to trick her husband so she can “get out” of the marriage. Nashire said she wants to divorce her 28-year-old husband, Nicholas Ouga, because he allegedly assaults her.
“I have never come here. Ouga beats me every day. His girlfriend also abuses me every day. I wanted a way to escape,” she said.
Omondi said three women have reported their babies being stolen or swapped in six months. But they failed to show up for DNA tests.