From left: Josephine Muthoni, Dr Mahesh Chudasama and Chinese national
Neo Kian Fu appearing in a Mombasa court on July 30, 2018 where they are
charged attempted child trafficking. Mr Kian was accused of unlawfully
adopting a new-born baby with the aim of trafficking it to Singapore.
They were released on a Sh1 million bond each. PHOTO | BRIAN OCHARO |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
A new mother who attempted to give away her baby to a Chinese
national immediately after delivery at the Mombasa Hospital has been
arrested.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations (DCI) arrested Josephine Kariuki Muthoni, 27 and two
foreigners, a Chinese and a Singaporean, for child trafficking.
Police
said Ms Muthoni had given birth on July 18, 2018 and instructed the
hospital staff to give away the baby to Chinese nationals Mahesh
Chudasama and Neo Kian Fu.
“Officers went to the
hospital to inquire about the information and met the mother at the
maternity ward and she recorded a statement,” DCI George Kinoti said.
AGREEMENT
In
her statement at the DCI, Ms Muthoni alleged that she had made an
agreement before a lawyer that she would rent her womb and be paid
Sh30,000 per month, Sh28,500 each month for the entire gestation period
and a final sum of Sh500,000, after documentation of the child and
release through court procedure to the intended parents.
The
DCI said after interrogations, two lawyers came and produced a copy of
an agreement between the mother and the Chinese couple.
“They
produced a copy of a letter from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and
Dentists Board allegedly signed by its chairman, Prof George Magoha, and
dated November 11, 2016. The letter authorised the doctor the expansion
of the spectrum of assisted reproductive technology (ART) service in
Mombasa,” the DCI stated.
DOCUMENTS
Surprisingly, lawyers issued documents pertaining to “legal formalities”.
A
practicing advocate at the children’s court allegedly processed the
papers intended to facilitate the granting of the parental rights.
The
12-day-old baby boy was taken to the Baby Life Rescue Centre pending an
application for protection and care at the children’s court in Mombasa.
Section
2 of the Counter-trafficking In Person Act prohibits giving payments or
benefits to obtain the consent of the victim of trafficking in persons,
or giving or receiving payments or benefits to obtain the consent of a
person having control over another person.
Section 4 of
the same Act prohibits the adoption or offering a child for adoption,
fostering or offering a child for fostering and guardianship to a child
or offering a child for guardianship for the purpose of trafficking and
states that a person who commits the offence is liable to imprisonment
for a term of not less than 30 years or to a fine of not less than Sh20
million or to both and upon conviction, to imprisonment for life.
COMBAT TRAFFICKING
The
arrests came at a time when the world is celebrating the World Day
against Trafficking in Persons. The event was being celebrated at the UN
Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi.
On Monday, Mr Kinoti told
the conference that the DCI is keen on enhancing cooperation with other
Eastern Africa countries in combating trafficking in persons.
The
US State Department ranks Kenya in the tier two watch list for
non-compliance with minimum standards for the elimination of human
trafficking.
A global alarm raised in June 2014 by the
Experts Group at the Hague Convention on inter-country adoptions called
on state parties to take action against profit-driven inter-country
adoptions and child trafficking.
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