15/04/2026
Magdalene Chelangat from Sotik met a man selling SIM cards in Kericho in 2022 and bought one. They exchanged contacts and started communicating. At the time, she was working in Nakuru.
Their communication went well, and they eventually began dating.
Later, the man lost his job in Kericho, moved to Bomet County, and got work as a tea plucker.
Magdalene became pregnant while they were still in the relationship. The boyfriend then convinced her to move with him to his rural home in Narok County after he failed to repay a loan he had taken from his employer.
She agreed and went with him, hoping to start a family life. That is where everything changed.
While at home, one of her in-laws informed her that her husband had sold all his land and used the money on a lavish lifestyle. He also restricted her from using social media, which caused tension between them.
One day, the man asked to use her phone, claiming his was out of power. She gave it to him, but he left and only returned in the evening with an empty SIM card after selling the phone. Frustrated, Magdalene decided to return to her parents.
She later gave birth to a baby boy and informed him. He sent her some money to buy items for the newborn, but after that, she was left to struggle alone.
The pressure of raising the child on her own became overwhelming, pushing her into a dark place where she even considered ending her life and that of her baby. Instead, she sought out a woman who had no children.
Magdalene decided to sell her 9-month-old son to the woman for KSh 200,000, handing over the child with the agreement that she would collect the money later. She then returned home and continued with life as usual.
However, concerned neighbors who noticed the baby was missing reported the matter to local authorities. She was arrested.
In court, she was charged but initially refused to reveal the child’s whereabouts. She was even advised to deny ever having a baby in hopes the case would collapse.
However, the investigating officer presented her clinic records and the child’s birth notification in court, which confirmed everything.
She was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison.🙌
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