Monica Kwamboka (R) who is accused of stealing a child from Abscondita Azenga (L) a year ago.
AN Eldoret mother broke down in uncontrollable tears in court as her six-year-old son, stolen over a year ago, was finally brought back to her.
The boy has been living with a woman in Nyamira county who admitted buying him for Sh30,500 last year.
Monica Kwamboka appeared before principal magistrate Kesse Cheronoh, pleading to be released so she could bring the woman who sold her the child.
The boy had been abducted from his home in Langas informal settlement, Eldoret, on May 16, 2024, leaving his mother, Abscondita Azenga, in desperate anguish.
“It has been a harrowing year searching for my child. I have not slept, not rested—but today, I thank God he is finally in my arms,” said Azenga, her voice trembling. Upon seeing her mother, the little boy collapsed into tears, refusing to leave her side.
The prosecution initially requested that the child stays in a children’s home in the city until a DNA test could confirm his biological mother. But the magistrate witnessed firsthand the child’s heartache as he refused to be separated from Azenga. When asked to identify his mother, the boy’s tiny finger pointed decisively at her.
Principal Magistrate Kesse Cheronoh.
Through tears, the boy recounted the terrifying moment of his abduction. “My mouth and eyes were covered. I couldn’t even cry out for help,” he said.
Kwamboka admitted to buying the child after losing her only son to illness. She explained that after being abandoned by her husband and living alone, she sought a child to care for. She had even attempted to pass the boy off as her own with a fake birth certificate.
“I bought this boy because I had no children in my previous marriage. My husband drove me away, forcing me to return to my parents’ home. I had nowhere else to turn,” she told the court, her voice heavy with regret.
The prosecution called for DNA tests to be conducted at the government laboratory in Kisumu county. Kwamboka did not oppose the tests and pleaded to be allowed to bring the mastermind behind the child-selling syndicate to justice.
The magistrate ruled that DNA tests be carried out on both Kwamboka and the biological mother.
Meanwhile, the boy will stay at a rescue centre in Pioneer estate, where Azenga will have unlimited access until the results are confirmed. Kwamboka will remain in police custody at Langas police station until October 29, when her case will be mentioned.
