Salgaa woman seeks justice for her daughter, who was allegedly sexually abused by a church elder

Jane (not her real name), a single mother of seven, has always lived her life one day at a time.

Being the sole breadwinner for her family has not been easy, but despite the humble life she leads, it has never killed her hopes and dreams of providing the best for her family.

She believes that with a good education, her children might be able to escape the clutches of poverty.

So when a fellow church member offered her a scholarship through the church for her 17-year-old daughter, she jumped at the chance.

Grateful for the opportunity and with no other options in sight, the single mother from Salgaa in Rongai sub-county agreed.

In January 2024, her third-born daughter joined a local day secondary school, fully supported by the mysterious benefactor.

Little did she know that the woman, who came disguised as a good Samaritan, was about to shutter her family.

According to Jane, the woman lured her daughter into a relationship with a man who she said would support her daughter through secondary school, with the promise of university funding if her daughter did well at school.

Jane tells Mtaa Wangu that what seemed to be a life-changing moment for her daughter has now become their greatest source of pain as a family.

"This woman made arrangements with the man who paid my daughters' school fees to take her from our home in Salgaa to Nakuru town centre where she was sexually exploited on three occasions. As a result, my child, who was in form one at the time, became pregnant," she says in tears.

Jane started noticing changes in her daughter in February this year. She was withdrawn, often unwell and no longer playing with her siblings.

Her body was also changing, her clothes were fitting differently, and despite her gentle probing, she remained silent.

"She didn't say a word. But as a mother, I knew something was wrong," she says.

This prompted her to force her daughter to take a pregnancy test. The results shocked her - at the time of the test, she was 7 months pregnant.

Upon further investigation, she discovered that the man who had impregnated her daughter was the same person who had been paying her school fees, a respected elder in her church.

Desperate for answers, Jane confronted the woman in her home. But instead of remorse, she was met with threats.

"She warned me not to report the matter to the police or even involve the church, saying that the man was powerful, well-connected and would simply buy his freedom. I was devastated. I had no means to fight for justice, I left everything to God," she says, before taking a long pause.

For a while, life seemed to settle down until April 1, when tragedy struck again. Her daughter, now a Form Two student, went into labour and was rushed to Rongai Sub-County Hospital.

The doctors referred her to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital. 

On the way, Jane called the woman for help.

The woman advised her to take the girl to a private hospital in Rongai, where she safely delivered a healthy baby boy. She was discharged and returned home with her mother and the same woman who had offered help.

But the relief was short-lived.

The next day, the woman sent Jane Sh1,400 and asked her to go to the shop to buy food. While she was at the shop, the woman called her to say that the newborn baby she had left in her care had suddenly fallen ill.

"I rushed back to find my grandson with foam in his mouth. There was a strong smell in the house at the time. We immediately searched her bag and found a pesticide container and a syringe," says Jane.

Despite efforts to save him, the baby died. His body was later taken to the mortuary at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Neighbours, alerted by the family's screams, ran to call the police, who arrested the woman.

Jane is now seeking justice for the murder of her grandchild and the sexual exploitation of her daughter.

According to Donnata Otieno, Rongai sub-county director of criminal investigations, the suspect, Jennifer Makomore, was brought before the Molo court under a miscellaneous application. The court gave the detectives 14 days to complete their investigations.

On April 3, Makomore appeared before Chief Magistrate Christine Mugo, who ordered that she be remanded in custody at Rongai Police Station pending investigations.