Mama Lucy Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Emma Mutio, and six others have been detained for two days to allow police to complete investigations into an alleged child trafficking syndicate.
The seven suspects will be held at the Kileleshwa Police Station until November 23, 2020, when their case will be mentioned.
The other suspects are Dr. Regina Musembi, Makallah Fred Leparan, Musa Mohammed Ramadhan, Juliana Mbete Kimweli, Beatrice Njambi Njoroge and Selina Awour Adundo.
Dr Musembi and Mbete are hospital administrators while Njambi is in charge of the new-born unit.
Adundo and Leparan are social workers while Ramadhan was a medical superintendent but left the hospital just over a month ago.
The prosecution, led by Everlyn Onuga, told the court that the four were engaging in child trafficking contrary to the law and were subject of a BBC Africa expose.
In an affidavit, the prosecution told the court it has reasons to believe that there is a well-organized criminal gang trafficking in the country.
“The respondents are believed to have either conspired or acted negligently hence enabling the commission of the offense,” the prosecution said.
Onuga said the suspects were arrested on November 18, 2020, and owing to the nature of the crime committed and the complexity of the investigations, they need more time before levelling charges.
“All respondents are under Musa. He was transferred barely a month ago and the crucial evidence was in his custody as the superintendent of Mama Lucy Hospital. The court should maintain the term and there is no way he should be treated differently,” the prosecution said.
The intended charge sheet filed in court against the four states that with others not in court, the suspects offered for adoption a child, namely alias Jayden Smith, aged 6 months for the purpose of trafficking him.
They are said to have committed the offence between May 11 and November 17 at Mama Lucy Hospital.
The charge sheet further states that the four promoted child trafficking of two children.
