She stares at the door with her chin resting on her palm as tears roll down her worried face.

Maureen Gesera, is a mother in pain after her nine-month-old baby was taken by an unknown lady on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in Rhonda estate.

Her expression is that of a mother in deep thought and agony as she tries to think of the whereabouts of her daughter, Maya.

After a long pause, Maureen opens up.

“On that fateful day, I woke up at 5 am and started preparing to leave for work. A few minutes before I stepped out, my daughter woke up and called out my name,” she recalls.

Worried she would be late for work, Maureen left her daughter who was crying, assuming she would cry for a short time then go back to sleep.

Little did the 18-year-old know that she would come back in the evening and find her child missing.

“I always leave my child under the care of my younger sister, who cares for Maya and my three-month-old niece Kayla. That day, my sister handed over the two babies to the younger children who live in our plot. They said they were heading to Scan, a place where kids from less fortunate families normally get free meals,” Maureen explains.

According to her, it was at Scan that the children carrying her niece and daughter met the woman who stole her child.

“After interrogating the children who were with my daughter, they said that the woman told them she was new in Nakuru and asked them to escort her from Scan to Weavers market once they were done eating."

To get to the market, the children had to go past their home, where they met Faith Kemunto, Maureen’s sister seated at the gate.

Since Kayla (Faith’s child) was asleep at the time, Faith took her and put her to bed leaving Maya with the woman and the other children.

Faith Kemunto during an interview in Rhonda on November 1, 2024.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

"I did not know the woman had bad intentions since she even said hello to us when we were seated outside our gate with my neighbours", Faith says.

Unknown to Faith, a scheme to steal Maya was being hatched.

The children narrate that along the way, the strange woman offered them some juice from her bag.

She suggested that they buy some tumblers so they could drink the juice from them.

This led them to a shop at Weavers market were CCTV captures a woman in a blue dress and the children outside a mini supermarket.

Woman suspected to have stolen nine month old Maya captured on CCTV footage at Weavers market.

Photo credit: PURITY KINITHIA/MTAA WANGU

“The juice was bitter and we did not like it,” one of the children recalls.

The woman then gave a second offer which was to buy the children chips and chicken as a sign of gratitude for showing her where the market was.

Agreeing to the kind gesture, the children narrate that they handed over the child to the woman, who promised to wait for them as they rushed to buy the food.

The food joint was some minutes away from where they were.

However, on their return, they did not find her.

Maureen says the last thing the children remember was a man in a white probox, nudging the woman to get into the vehicle and the woman kept telling him to wait.

“It is normal for children to stay together out for long. Sadly someone took advantage of this and stole Maya," Faith says is a faint voice.

The two sisters are now appealing to well-wishers to report any information that may help them get the child back.

Maureen also notes that she has reported the matter to the police station.

Additionally, she hopes the CCTV footage which helped them identify the woman will be utilized by police to get her daughter back in haste.

Bitter juice, chips and chicken and a missing nine month old baby

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Purity Kinuthia