A mother of three alleged to have abandoned her four-year-old child and failing to provide proper care and protection has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Kabarnet court.
Mariam Juma was charged that on December 15, 2024 within Kabarnet municipality in Baringo Central sub county, Baringo County, she neglected her child aged four years by abandoning and failing to offer due care and protection as per parental responsibility required of her.
The accused admitted committing the offence when she appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate (SPM) Purity Koskey and was convicted as charged even as she claimed that the mistake was due to the fact that she had no place fixed aboard.
“Your honour, the mistake has been heavily attributed to the fact that I don’t have a place to sleep,” she pleaded.
The magistrate heard that on the day of the woman’s arrest, the child was found abandoned in Kabarnet town at night and was taken to Kabarnet police station.
According to a report presented to court by area Chief Daniel Kimaliny, the woman receives monthly funds from the Inua Jamii programme which she uses mainly to engage in excessive alcohol consumption instead of caring for the children.
The Chief asked the court to give the accused a non-custodial sentence stating that she is a notorious habitual drunkard known to neglect her parental responsibility.
The Chief’s report further indicated that the woman spent most of her time within Kabarnet town with the children late at night while apart from drinking, she engages in promiscuous activities.
In his report, Children officer Collins Kosgei called for a custodial sentence saying that they have summoned her severally to impress upon the need to take up her parental roles seriously but in vain.
While delivering her ruling, the Magistrate stated that the prosecution had proved the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and went ahead to jail her for two years.
The SPM directed the accused to be taken to Eldoret Women Prison to commence her jail term.
She also ordered that the children remain at Sunrise Children Rescue Centre within Kabarnet town where they would have proper care and protection.
However, the Senior Principal Magistrate gave Mariam 14 days’ right of appeal.
By Esther Mburu and Joshua Kibet