In a shocking turn of events, a 23-year-old waitress, Margaret Achieng, confessed to the murder of her three-year-old son, Reagan Otieno, in a Kisumu court on Tuesday.
The tragic incident occurred on May 7, 2023, at Kanyakwar area in Kisumu County. Achieng, who underwent a mental test and was deemed fit to stand trial, recounted the events leading up to the murder in a packed courtroom.
Achieng, who was a waitress at a local hotel, told the court that she had been struggling to care for her son due to her small salary.
She claimed the father of the late Otieno, had left her when she fell pregnant in 2021. Achieng stated that she had been doing menial jobs to feed her son and had even sent money to her uncle in Obunga slums to provide for the child.
However, when she visited her uncle, she found her son living a miserable life, despite her efforts to support him.
During the court proceedings, Judge Roselyne Aburili asked Achieng why she did not take her son to a children’s home instead of killing him. Achieng explained that she had taken him to Mama Ngina Children’s Home but he had run back and followed her home, crying.
The judge also enquired why Achieng did not take the boy to his father, to which she replied that his father had been arrested for defilement.
The accused further revealed that she had taken her son to her new boyfriend’s house, where she attempted to poison him by mixing paraffin with tea.
When the child refused to drink the tea, Achieng tried to strangle him but was unable to kill him. She then took him to a flooded quarry and threw him into the stagnant water, hearing him cry as he fell.
Seven prosecution witnesses have already testified before Justice Aburili. The defense counsel Joel Orego argued that his client was frustrated by parenthood and that she regretted the incident.
He requested leniency for Achieng, stating that she was only guilty of manslaughter.
However, the prosecution countered that the murder was premeditated and that Achieng should be found guilty of the murder charges.
The case has been adjourned until August 7, 2024, with Achieng remaining in custody.
