Pumwani Maternity Hospital, notorious for incidents involving stolen newborns, is once again at the centre of controversy following the disappearance of a seven-year-old schoolgirl while in the care of its medics.
The alarming case involves Simon Chege and his wife, Judy Wanjiru, who took their daughter to Pumwani Hospital in Nairobi for a medical check-up on February 17.
The young girl had been experiencing pain while urinating, prompting her parents to seek medical attention.
At the hospital, the child underwent a urine test, but things took a disturbing turn shortly afterward.
While Chege waited for the results, his wife and daughter walked out of the laboratory in distress, crying.
When Chege inquired about the situation, the medics responded with aggression, and soon after, a police officer from the nearby California Police Station arrived and handcuffed him without explanation.
In the chaos that followed, Chege’s wife lost grip of their daughter, and the young girl was taken by unidentified individuals from the hospital.
“The officer asked me if I had defiled my daughter. I was shocked and asked where he was getting those allegations, but he ignored me and handcuffed me,” Chege explained.
Chege was detained at the police post before being transferred to Shauri Moyo Police Station that evening.
He was released on February 20 without any charges. However, when he inquired about the whereabouts of his daughter, he was directed to a local Children’s Welfare office.
On February 21, Chege and Wanjiru visited the welfare office, where an officer named Lynette Itumo confirmed that their daughter was in their custody but refused to provide any further explanation.
Itumo stated that the child would be returned after two weeks. However, over a month later, the couple has still not been reunited with their daughter.
The welfare officer has ignored their calls, and Pumwani Hospital has yet to explain why the child was handed over to officers without any clear reasoning.
“The medics at Pumwani have not revealed the results of the supposed test, nor explained why I was detained without being taken to court, or why they took our daughter. We are in pain,” Chege said.
Fearing for the safety and well-being of their daughter, the couple has appealed to the Directorate of Children’s Services and the Nairobi County Government which runs the hospital, for intervention.
