Woman Steals 1-Day-Old Baby By Pretending To Help Mother Through Hospital Discharge Process

• Cecilia Chanda, a young mother lost her newborn baby to an impostor who posed as an assistant aiding in the discharge procedure
• The stranger cunningly approached the 20-year-old mother and lied that her family members were outside and extended an offer to hold the infant
• When they stepped out and discovered the relatives were not there, the stranger instructed Chanda to wait back in the labor ward, only to sneak out with the baby

A 21-year-old woman from Lusaka identified as Monica Tembo has been arrested on allegations of stealing a one-day-old baby boy from his mother, Cecilia Siame Chanda.

Mwebantu reports that the shocking incident unfolded at Matero Level One Hospital when the 20-year-old mother was going through the discharge process.

Tembo offered to "help" Chanda

According to police reports, it all began when Tembo approached Chanda, who had just given birth within the hospital premises.

Seemingly aware that Chanda was waiting for her relatives to arrive, the suspect swiftly moved in with her calculated deception.

Tembo pretended to be offering assistance and held the newborn after convincing the unsuspecting mother that her relatives had arrived to take the baby.

"She offered to assist her in carrying the baby and when they went outside she didn’t find the relatives,” police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga told the media.

Took off in taxi with baby

Tembo went to great lengths to maintain her façade as she informed Chanda that the relatives had taken longer than expected to secure a taxi and advised her to return to the labor ward.

It was during this confusing moment that the alleged baby thief hurriedly left the health facility with the infant.

The mother discovered that she had been duped when she returned to where she'd left Tembo only to find both her and the baby missing.

She immediately alerted hospital staff, who promptly initiated a search tracing the stranger's steps, starting with the nearby taxi rank.

Tembo apprehended

It was confirmed that a woman fitting Tembo's description had indeed booked a taxi while carrying an infant.

The police quickly intervened and not only apprehended Tembo but also rescued the abducted baby boy.

Chanda and her child were reunited even as an investigation into the incident was launched, a development that has left the community in shock.

In the wake of the incident, authorities have urged hospitals to bolster security measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Another baby stolen in Nanyuki

Chanda's story brings back memories of another theft in Nanyuki when a 19-year-old mother was duped by a stranger who befriended her while pretending to be house hunting.

Despite only knowing the woman for two days and not getting her name, Diana Muthoni accepted her offer to help carry her young daughter named Leticia while she went into a chemist.

When Muthoni came out of the chemist, the woman had taken off with the baby, after which it was established that the 10-month-old was sold for KSh 10,000.