Baby Sagini: Mother of boy whose eyes were gouged out to be charged with neglect

Maureen Nyaboke, the mother of 3-year-old Junior Sagini, a boy who brutally had his eyes mercilessly gorged out by unidentified assailants in Kisii County, on Sunday surfaced for the first time since the incident.

According to police records, 28-year-old Nyaboke, left the little Sagini and her 7-year-old daughter in the care of their father and paternal grandmother.

She went to work as a bar attendant in Nyamakoroto, Nyamira county, when the bizarre attack occurred on Wednesday.

It was also the first time Sagini’s mother was visiting the Kisii Eye Care facility where her son has been coming to terms with the cruel reality of having to remain blind for the rest of his life after he fell prey to his attackers while fetching water at a nearby river.

Just as Nyaboke was preparing to leave the hospital, Police pounced on her, detaining her at Nyanchwa police station where she was booked under OB no. 33/18/12/2022 before transferring her to Rioma police station for further questioning.

Citizen TV understands that Sagini’s mother will spend the rest of the night in police detention before being arraigned on Monday at the Kisii Law Courts, where she’ll be charged with parental neglect.

Three other persons, including a form 3 student from a local school, middle aged man and a woman have also been arrested in connection to the incident.

The three went through a 10 hour interrogation before being released on Sunday evening.

Investigators also processed Sagini’s home in Ikuruma village, for potential additional traces of exhibits, collecting a metallic rod for examination.

Doctors frantically operated on Sagini hoping to restore his eyesight but all in vain.

They say he’s ready to be discharged but they can’t just release him yet owing to the fragile & toxic environment still embroiled in the ongoing investigations.

To worsen the situation, Kisii County has no boys rescue center.

“It hurts to see how this baby was mistreated. We shall look after him and ensure we equip our rescue centre,” Kisii Governor Simba Arati said.

At Ikuruma village, shocked residents who are yet to comes to terms with the nature of cannibalism inflicted on their very own say they fear for the lives of their children, locking them up as the Christmas festivities approach.

The Police will continue with investigations on Monday, as they interrogate more witnesses and retrace Sagini’s final steps before his kidnap on the fateful evening.