A Kabarnet court was yesterday told how a Boda boda operator eloped with and impregnated a form two girl.
Testifying in a case in which a man is charged with defiling her 17-year-old daughter, Emily Chelimo, said she went through a harrowing one-month long search of her daughter who she had sent to plait her hair at a nearby trading centre.
She is testifying in a case in which Bacley Wayne Yegon, is accused of defilement contrary to section 8(1) as read with section 8(4) of the sexual offences act No. 3 of 2006.
He faces an alternative charge of committing an Indecent Act with a child contrary to the same Act.
Bacley was charged that on November 15 last year to February 1st this year at unknown time in Kipkabus area in Elgeyo Marakwet County, he willfully defiled a minor which is in contravention of the said Act.
According to the mother, she found out her daughter was pregnant after the girl went missing with a known man and the two were found and arrested by officers from the Iten Police Station.
The mother, a business woman and a resident of Kaptimbor within Kabarnet town told the court that she had earlier on the fateful day at around 2:00 pm, given her daughter Sh1000 to go to plait her hair and also bring home maize flour for supper.
She said the girl never came back that day and she had to confront a neighbour’s daughter named Celestine who informed that her friend told her that a guy known as Ras had paid for the saloon and rode away with her daughter.
The woman said she searched for her daughter for three days without trace and opted to report matter to Kabarnet Police Station.
She added that her informer gave her a mobile phone number her daughter was using and upon calling, a man picked but denied seeing her daughter, before hanging up.
Fortunately when she called the following day the daughter picked and said she was in her cousin’s place in Eldoret town where she had secured a house help’s job.
Mrs Chelimo told the court that she reported the matter again to the Sub-county DO’s office in Kabarnet who sought police and Directorate of Criminal Investigations involvement in the matter which they later on brought a limelight on the disappearance of the girl.
After a month of investigation, the mobile phone number the girl used was tracked and found to have a location in Iten, there the two were arrested and locked up at Iten Police Station.
The mother was contacted to identify the girl, however, at the Police Station she was told that the arrested girl gave a different name and said she had no parents.
She said that as soon as the girl described was brought for identification, it was her daughter and she was dumbfounded she could tell such a lie.
The mother informed the court that she recorded a statement in the company of her husband and son and she was issued with an OB number,
“We were advised to take the girl to hospital for test and the tests came back positive for pregnancy,” the mother of the minor said.
On her response the girl told the mother that she had known the Boda boda operator since she was in class seven and she followed him since he was in love.
Prosecutor Joseck Abwajo, on his submission, prayed for another date to avail the remaining five witnesses in the case.
The Kabarnet Resident Magistrate, Vienah Amboko, adjourned the hearing to April 29 where all remaining witnesses will be required to testify.
By Laban Kiptoo and Christopher Kiprop
