A Kisii family is seeking help from the government after their kin was allegedly wrongfully convicted in South Sudan.
Emily Kerubo Nyakwara, was sentenced to five-year imprisonment in South Sudan in October last year over trumped-up charges.
According to the victim’s mother, Mellen Mose, her daughter who is already serving the jail term was accused of molesting a child at Mercy British, an international school in Juba.
Raising the matter in Parliament, Kisii Woman Representative Doris Aburi asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene in the matter and ensure the safe return of Ms Kerubo.
2018 saw Kerubo, 25, earn her education degree from the University of Nairobi. She left Kenya on January 12, 2022, for a kindergarten job in the foreign land.
An educationist-turned-businesswoman who runs Mercy British had gotten in touch with her after which she started her new job on January 17, 2022. She was also responsible for changing the kids’ diapers.
In the process, she observed a young girl in her class was wearing a charm around her waist. She raised an alarm with the management which in turn asked the child’s parents to remove the charm.
In response, the parents withdrew their child from school for a fortnight and were combative with the teacher.
The mother reportedly issued clear instructions to all teachers to never change the toddler’s diaper upon her daughter’s return on February 28, 2022.
As a result, the toddler spent several hours wearing a wet diaper.
“Two days later, the mother reported that Ms Nyakwara had molested the child; citing rashes and bruises around the girl’s private parts,” Ms Aburi told the National Assembly.
Ms Kerubo was arrested, detained and convicted even after a medical report showed the toddler was not molested.
“The medical report indicated that there was no molestation and attributed the bruises to the long wearing of diapers,” Ms Aburi said.
“Despite the fact that Ms Nyakwara was vindicated by the medical report and witness testimonies, she was still charged under unclear circumstances and convicted to a five-year imprisonment and a fine of 700,000 Sudanese pounds; an equivalent of $1,200.”
The lawmaker wants to know what quick actions the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to take to bring Kerubo’s case to justice.
Last but not least, she wants to know what measures the government has put in place to ensure the wellbeing of other Kenyans living in South Sudan.
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