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Kenyan hospital worker sentenced to 25 years in jail for child trafficking

A Kenyan hospital worker, Fred Leparan, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in the illegal trade of selling babies. The case came to light after an undercover investigation by BBC Africa Eye, in which Leparan was filmed accepting $2,500 to sell a baby boy under the hospital’s care. His co-accused, Selina Adundo, was also found guilty and sentenced to six years in jail or a $2,000 fine.

The undercover reporter had approached Leparan after receiving information that he was involved in child trafficking. Leparan, without much investigation into the reporter’s background, agreed to sell the baby boy to her and her husband, who claimed to have difficulty conceiving. On the day the baby boy and two other children were supposed to be transferred from the hospital to a children’s home, Leparan falsified the paperwork to only show two children being transferred.

The BBC team ensured that all three children were safely delivered to the children’s home, while filming Leparan amending the paperwork and confirming that the baby boy was now theirs to take away. The evidence against Leparan was strong, but the case took over two years to reach a verdict due to his strong legal defense.

This incident sheds light on the issue of child trafficking in Kenya, where reliable statistics are scarce. The Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Florence Bore, revealed that over 6,000 children were reported missing between July 2022 and May 2023. As part of the government’s efforts to combat child trafficking, Bore announced the abolition of privately owned orphanages and children’s homes within the next eight years.

The verdict of this case serves as a warning that individuals involved in child trafficking will face severe consequences. The court has also emphasized that both Leparan and Adundo should never be allowed to handle any matters related to children in the future. The incident highlights the importance of increasing awareness and implementing stricter measures to prevent child trafficking in Kenya.