The Kariuki family experienced a harrowing week filled with anguish and uncertainty after their one-year-old son, Baby Ian, vanished from their home in Kiamwathi village, Nyeri County.
On May 31st, the family’s 46-year-old nanny, Jane Nyambura, allegedly abducted the child.
The family’s nightmare came to an end on June 7th, as Mr. Michael Kariuki, the overjoyed father, held his son once again.
On the fateful day, the family says that Baby Ian Kariuki’s mother, Joyce Wanjeri, left for work at around 7:45 am, after seeing her six-year-old eldest child off to school.
She left baby Ian sleeping on her bed. The nanny’s duty was to prepare breakfast for him, feed him, and then continue with her household tasks.
But the two were last seen by neighbors in the compound at around 11 am. This would then lead to an endless search with various leads showing that the nanny had been spotted several times in Mweiga town, which is 30 kilometers away from baby Kariuki’s home.
On Friday, the two were found by the local residents at around 2 pm after alerts of a hungry and unkempt woman living in Kigogoini forest.
“She was spotted by some women who were cutting coffee bushes next to the forest,” explained Mr. Kariuki.
The two appeared hungry and weak as they had not eaten the whole day. The duo was then taken to the nearest homestead, and fed before alerting the police.
In the forest, she had created a cave using bushes and made a bed from grasses. The two had been living in the forest for the past seven days.
Locals who spoke to the police said that they first spotted Ms. Nyambura on Thursday, June 6, when she came out to Kigogoini market to purchase bread and get some water.
“We were told that she was seen alone, since she had left the baby lying in the forest,” explained one of the officers in the case.
According to baby Kariuki’s father, the toddler was healthy but dirty.
“He had soiled himself and had not changed his clothing for the past week that they had been living in the forest,” he explained.
Upon reuniting with his family, Baby Kariuki was taken to a hospital in Nyeri town for a health check-up, while Ms. Nyambura was taken to Nyeri Central Police Station.
The family said that during the last two months, they employed the suspect as their domestic worker, they had not experienced any worries, describing her as introverted and peace-loving.
