Geoffrey Okong'o and his son Methodius Marucha at their home at Ritumbe Village in Kisii County. Marucha was stolen by unknown individuals while asleep three weeks ago. [Edwin Nyarangi, Standard]
For three weeks, Geoffrey Okong’o and his wife Orpha Moraa have not known peace.
Their one-and-a-half-year-old son was stolen from their home in Ritumbe village in Nyamache sub-County.
Initial reports indicated that a woman suspected to have stolen the baby boarded a matatu to Kisii town at Magena on the day the baby disappeared.
“Passengers doubted whether the woman was the baby’s mother so they requested the driver to drive to Itumbe Police Station where the woman was left for questioning,” said Okong’o.
However, there are no records on the same as the woman is said to have been released shortly after she was booked at the police station.
Okong’o said they have run out of options in their search for the baby.
Moraa said she had left the baby sleeping in their house as she went to the market to buy groceries.
“We are in so much pain. I wonder what might have been the intentions of the person who took away my baby and where they are at the moment,” said Moraa.
She said if the suspect had been held at the Itumbe Police Station for some time, they could have had a chance of confirming whether the baby she had was her missing son
“I am not sure whether my son is alive. I regret having left him behind to go to the market,” lamented Moraa.
Samuel Maobe, the driver of the matatu, confirmed that passengers became suspicious of the woman as the baby was crying uncontrollably from the time they boarded the vehicle.
They took her to Itumbe Police Station after passengers insisted that she be investigated, said the driver.
Kisii police commander Francis Kooli told The Standard that detectives are following up several leads to establish the whereabouts of the missing baby.
He asked parents and villagers to be patient as the matter was being handled by the police.
“Police officers are investigating the matter,” said Kooli.
“At the moment I cannot reveal what stage we have reached, but let me assure the family that we are doing everything possible to ensure that the baby is reunited with them soon.”
