Langas slum in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county has been peaceful and safe, atleast as far as kids and babies safety was concerned. This was the case till Human Rights advocates and detectives discovered a child trafficking network few days ago, that shocked the slum.
It was discovered that the employees of a certain private hospital, collude with traffickers who make fake birth certificates which they use to facilitate the transfer of the kidnapped children.
In this child trafficking network, 3 women were arrested by the detectives and booked at Naiberi police station for stealing and trafficking children aged between 7 months and 5 years. The 3 arrested women, Brenda Cheptoo, Rael Nyaboke and Claca Njeri were taken to court in Eldoret before Senior Resident magistrate Barnabas Kiptoo.
Brenda cheptoo and Rael Nyaboke are both employees of Eldoret based hospital, Fountain Health Care Hospital. Ms. Brenda is a medical records technician and Ms. Rael is a Nutritionist in the institution. Clanca Njeri is their crime partner who is in child trafficking network within Eldoret town and it’s environs. They were not allowed to take any plea as the prosecution asked for more time for the investigations to be concluded.
According to the police, they only have 4 confirmed cases of missing children in Langas estate. But residents of Langas and human rights advocates dispute the police figure, saying over thirty children since the beginning of this year have mysteriously disappeared.
But the police insisted that the over thirty missing children, have been taken to rescue centres across Uasin Gishu county for their protection and care, as they look for their parents.
Inspector Joyce Thuge, of the DCI Ainabkoi Sub-county police, the lead investigator, opposed the application for the suspects to be released on bond. She requested the court to allow the suspects be detained in custody for twenty one days, as she completes her investigations. They are also flight risk and will tamper with evidence,inspector Thuge insisted.
Inspector Thuge also requested for DNA to be done on the children to determine their biological parents.
The court ordered the suspects to be detained in Naiberi police station for twelve days as the investigations are being concluded. The case will be mentioned on 15 April.
