Nakuru woman who sold baby for Sh1,200 charged with human trafficking

Ann Wangui before Nakuru Court. She admitted having attempted to sell her three weeks old baby. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Ann Wangui, the woman who was arrested whilst attempting to sell her three weeks old baby for Sh1,200 at Nakuru Level Five Hospital, has been arraigned in court.

Appearing before Nakuru courts on Wednesday, the suspect admitted she committed the crime.

Ms Wangui was charged with human trafficking and will be sentenced tomorrow.

Earlier press reports said Ann Wangui had planned to sell her baby to Dorcas Nanjala with whom she had met a few weeks at the maternity ward.

Until four days ago when Ann reached for her, Dorcas had been recuperating from the loss of her child who succumbed to underweight complications during the delivery at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.

“I was admitted at the hospital in July but delivered an underweight girl on August 29. My child died after two days and was buried at Nakuru South Cemetery while I was still admitted,” Dorcas told reporters in Nakuru, this week.

When Wangui reached for Nanjala, she claimed that someone had delivered a baby girl like hers but was not willing to keep the little girl.

“At first, the suspect alleged that the baby belonged to another girl who delivered at the hospital but didn’t want the keep the child,” said Nanjala.

The suspect had asked for Sh1,200 in exchange of the baby. The amount was to cater for the diapers she had bought during the three weeks. She also asked the prospective buyer to carry clothes for the child.

Nanjala, however, claimed to have known so little about the suspect but told The Standard that; the suspect obtained her contacts during the period they were admitted at the facility’s maternity ward. The deal was to be closed the Hospital’s gate at 1100hrs.

A cautious Nanjala decided to visit the hospital suspecting that the child whom they had buried was not theirs but reported the matter to Nakuru Central Police.

Two officers dressed in civilian from the station accompanied them to the agreed meeting point. Wangui showed up signaling them to get into the fenced off maternity ward, walked into the nursery and minutes later emerged holding the baby. The detectives pounced on the suspect.