Woman arrested after allegedly stealing friend’s two-day-old baby in Nairobi

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is holding a woman who allegedly stole her friend’s two-day-old baby in Nairobi before travelling to Nyamira County, and later to Mombasa, where she was arrested.

Catherine Kerubo is currently in custody at Buruburu Police Station, where investigations are ongoing to recover the missing child belonging to her friend, Emily Mosweta.

The suspect was arrested on June 6 in Nyali Sub-county, where she had gone into hiding after allegedly fleeing with the child on May 26.

According to an affidavit filed at the Makadara Law Courts by Corporal Erastus Kioko of the Buruburu DCI offices, Kerubo visited Mimosa Hospital in Kasarani, where Mosweta had been discharged after giving birth, accompanied by a female friend.

They boarded a matatu to the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to connect to Umoja, where Mosweta resides. However, upon arrival at the Tea Room stage in downtown Nairobi, Kerubo disappeared with the baby to an unknown location.

Mosweta attempted to call the suspect’s phone, only to discover it had been switched off. She also found that the other woman who had accompanied Kerubo during the visit was also unreachable.

She reported the incident at Umoja Police Post before making a similar report at Buruburu Police Station, where the DCI took over the investigation.

“Investigations established that the respondent switched off her mobile phone and could not be traced within Nairobi. Information was later received that she had travelled to her rural home in Nyamira County. However, on June 6, 2025, through an intelligence report, she was traced and arrested in Nyali, Mombasa,” states Corporal Kioko in the affidavit.

Corporal Kioko told the court that the suspect was escorted to Buruburu Police Station, where the DCI is investigating a case of child stealing, contrary to Section 174 of the Penal Code.

He sought orders to detain the suspect for 14 days to facilitate investigations into the theft of the baby girl, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The DCI is also seeking to trace the other woman who accompanied Kerubo to visit Mosweta in the hospital, record witness statements, and collect crucial evidence from the hospital where the baby was born.

Further investigative efforts include visiting Kerubo’s rural home in search of the missing child. The custodial orders were granted by Senior Principal Magistrate Joseph Karanja to enable the continuation of the investigation.

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