Woman found guilty of stealing Baby Maya handed two-year jail term

Millicent Wambui, the woman arrested for stealing a nine-month-old baby in Rhonda Estate, has been found guilty of child theft.

Senior Resident Magistrate Priscah Nyota sentenced her to two years in prison.

Maureen Gesera, the mother of the nine-month-old baby Maya, endured her worst nightmare for nearly three months after her child was stolen on October 29, 2024.

In October last year, Mtaa Wangu traced the horrific final moments leading to the kidnapping of the infant.

During this investigation, we discovered Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showing the now-convicted woman, dressed in blue, with children outside a mini-supermarket at Weavers Market.

Fast forward to three months later, and Sofia Wanjiku, the landlady who owned the property where Millicent Wambui rented an apartment, became involved.

“I do not follow the news from mainstream media much, so I was unaware of the missing child. It was the women who sell vegetables in our estate who informed me that they suspected my tenant had stolen a child. I went on social media and searched for clips of the infant, and that's when I saw CCTV footage of Millicent Wambui. That's when everything clicked,” she says.

Sofia adds, “From the news reports about the missing child, I was able to get the phone number of the grandmother. I quickly contacted her and asked her to send me a photo of the child. Once I received the photo and confirmed it, I immediately alerted the police, and the woman was arrested.”

During sentencing, the magistrate noted that Millicent Wambui had told probation officers that she would still visit the child after the case concluded.

This raised concerns that she might steal the child again or even abduct other children, which led the magistrate to impose the two-year jail sentence.

In an interview with Lilian Moraa, the grandmother of baby Maya, she expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling but hoped the sentence would be enough to help Millicent reform.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the fourth estate for thoroughly covering our ordeal and helping us get our daughter back. My special thanks goes to Sofia Wanjiku for making our dream of reuniting with my granddaughter a reality,” she says.

Sofia Wanjiku agrees with Lilian Moraa, stating that the sentence was too lenient.

“However I think she should have been handed a longer sentence so that it serves as a lesson for others who may want to commit the same crime,” she says.