Scholastica Itula faces charges of trafficking 3 children belonging to a couple. One of the children died under the care of her daughter Winnie who is facing murder charges. It is an employer-employee tussle with Scholastica claiming she got the legal custody through a letter signed by the area chief citing that the parents were not able to take care of the children.
Scholastica Itula, a woman accused of child trafficking appeared in court on Tuesday before Senior Principal Magistrate Barbra Ojoo at the Kibera Law Courts for the hearing of the case.
The accused faces charges of trafficking 3 children under the age of 10 years, belonging Bernadette Kasalu and Robert Tanui(Husband and wife).
The court heard that the couple separated in 2013 prompting Bernadette to move to Kibera with the children.
Bernadette was later employed by Scholastica as a water vendor in her Kiosk.
Later Scholastica transferred the Bernadette and the children to work for at her rural home in Kalawa, Makueni County.
She worked for almost 12 months and on 23/12/2013 went to Kericho to settle her differences with the husband.
The Children aged 9yrs, 7yrs and 4 yrs were left under the care of scholastica’s daughter by the Winnie.
However, early in 2015 when the parents went to pick their children they were surprised to find out that Scholastica had been given full custody of the children.
The custody was evident by a letter signed by the area chief citing that the parents were not able to take care of the children
According to the firstborn child, they were being mistreated by Winnie and the mother until 23/4/2015 when her younger sister valentine passed away.
Scholastica’s report which she recorded at kalawa police station states that Valentine died of snake poison.
After postmortem the report indicated that valentine’s throat had been cut internally and her right hand side ribs were broken.
It was then that scholastica’s daughter was charged with murder and the case is still is ongoing awaiting further hearing on March 3rd.
Scholastica is free on a bond of Ksh.200, 000 and her case is set for further hearing on April 1st .
