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Social workers face child trafficking charges after BBC expose


A Nairobi court has ruled that two social workers battling child trafficking charges have a case to answer.

The duo, who work at Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital, were arrested following an expose by the international media.

Milimani senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu established there is evidence to warrant the court to place Makalla Fred Leparan and Selina Adunda Awuor on their defence.

They will defend selves in six counts of child trafficking and neglect.

They face charges of trafficking minors aged three weeks, two months, and eight months old between April 30- May 20 ,2020.

They allegedly hatched the plot to engage in the syndicate between March 1- November 16,2020.

The suspects are reported to have fetched over Sh300,000 in the illegal business.

The infants had been dumped by their mothers before being salvaged by good Samaritans who took them to the hospital for care.

In her ruling, Ms Kimilu said: “After considering all the evidence led by the prosecution I find there is humble evidence to warrant this court to place the two accused on their defense.”

She directed lawyers Danstan Omari and Martina Swiga to furnish the prosecution with any evidence the accused would rely on in their defence.

Ms Swiga divulged that Makallah will give an unsworn defence while Selina will give sworn evidence.

“This case will be mentioned on February 22, 2023, for the accused to inform the court the nature of the evidence they will lead in their defence and simultaneously furnish the prosecution with copies of the same,” Ms Kimilu directed.

She set March 7, 2023 as the day the two suspects will tender their evidence to defend their innocence.

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The defence lawyers and state prosecutor were ordered to file written submissions in respect of the evidence tendered.

The arrest of Makallah and Selina on May 18, 2020 was instigated by the expose by an international media house on how child trafficking was rife at the public health facilty.

Makalla and Selina are charged with conspiracy to commit a felony of trafficking in persons while at Mama Lucy Hospital within Embakasi Central Nairobi County.

Between April 30 and May 13,2020 the social workers allegedly trafficked a male child aged three weeks old.

They allegedly abused the vulnerability of the minors by removing them from the caregivers at the hospital.

Makallah and Selina denied trafficking the minors and are out on bond.

The three children were stolen from the hospital and passed on to third parties at a fee.

According to the BBC Africa Eye exposé, a gang of organised criminals had been stealing children from homeless mothers and selling them for as little as Sh45,000.

Following the public disclosure three senior hospital personnel were arrested but were discharged since there was no evidence to link them with the offence.

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