A Court in Eldoret has sentenced an 18-year-old Ugandan woman who shocked many after confessing that she murdered her six-months-old son.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi handed the woman a six-year jail term, in turn declining to give her an option of a fine after she pleaded guilty to the murder charge.
The court was taken aback during a hearing when the young mother admitted to killing her six-months-old son on October 28, 2023, in the Kabogo area, Kapseret Sub County, Uasin Gishu county.
Standing in the dock as she gazed at the judge, the teen mother told the court that she committed the offence with the desire to be relieved of the responsibility of caring for the deceased as members of the public listened in disbelief.
The Ugandan mum narrated how she killed her son and dumped his body in a well after wrapping it in a gunny bag.
“It is true I killed my son, who was by then six months old, wrapped his body in a gunny bag, and then dumped it in a well as I was unable to take care of the child on my own,” she testified in court.
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The accused by then stated that she experienced severe depression, frustration, abandonment and fear before committing the offense.
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Ugandan Teen Confesses
As per her confession, the woman wanted to lessen the burden of taking care of the baby alone after his father abdicated his responsibilities.
Following the heinous act, the adolescent mother was reported to have gone into hiding for three days in order to avoid being apprehended by the authorities who had launched a manhunt after members of public reported the matter.
She was apprehended by the authorities afterwards when she reappeared and surrendered herself to the police, where she admitted to killing her son and went into hiding.
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Before the sentencing, the teen through her lawyer Robert Makori, requested to receive medical attention for the trauma suffered following the horrifying event.
She had also asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence should she be convicted.
As per her lawyer’s assertion, the defendant was in need of rehabilitation, psycho-social support, counseling, and a structured reintegration program to effectively address the underlying issues that led to the purported offense.
However, the judge turned down the plea and in turn sent her to prison.
