Baby Sagini: Mother Of 3-Yr-Old Whose Eyes Were Gouged Out, Cousin Arrested

UPDATE: A 26-year-old man identified as the first cousin of Baby Sagini was arrested on Sunday night, December 18.

Maina Ochoki was identified by the police as the main suspect in the incident in which the three-year-old was snatched from playmates before his eyes were gouged out. Investigators alleged that Maina and the mother gouged out Sagini’s eyes for ritual purposes, noting that the two had plotted to kill Baby Sagini's father in a previous incident in December 2021.

Police said the suspect will face attempted murder while the boy’s mother, Maureen Nyaboke, faces child neglect. Nyaboke is said to have separated from her husband over abuse.

The boy encountered a man with a rod and a torch according to his recollection of moments leading to the torturous ordeal. He described his attacker, albeit with scanty details, as detectives stepped up efforts to identify the mysterious man as doctors attending to the minor discharged him.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) interviewed Sagini’s close family members in the preliminary stages of the probe. Baby Sagini who was said to be playing outside his grandmother’s house was reportedly snatched by the assailant at 6 pm.

Maureen Nyaboke, the mother of three-year-old Junior Sagini, a boy whose eyes were gouged out by unidentified assailants in Kisii County was arrested on Sunday, December 18.

The 28-year-old was accosted by police officers while leaving the Kisii Eye hospital where she had gone to see her son, her first visit since the horrific incident occurred.

She was detained 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. 

According to a report by Citizen TV, Sagini’s mother spent the rest of the night in police detention before being arraigned on Monday, December 19 at the Kisii Law Courts, where she will be charged with parental neglect.

Baby Sagini in hospital. /CITIZEN TV

Three other persons, including a Form Three student from a local school, a middle-aged man and a woman have also been arrested in connection to the incident and were interrogated for 10 hours 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.

Sagini's eyes were gouged out by the assailants who later dumped him in a maize plantation near their home in Ikuruma village in Marani, Kisii County on Wednesday, December 14. 

He was in the company of other children fetching water when he strayed away, only to be found by his elder brother, who was cutting grass near the scene, writhing in pain the following day.

"We rushed to the scene and found the boy writhing in pain and his eyes gouged out," the grandmother stated.

Doctors frantically operated on Sagini hoping to restore his eyesight but all in vain, admitting sadly that the boy will be blind for the rest of his life. They indicated that he’s ready to be discharged but they can’t release him yet owing to the fragile and toxic environment still embroiled in the ongoing investigations.

“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 after visiting the minor accompanied by County Executive Committee members (CECs) Leah Ogega (Health) and Eric Miyienda (Sports, Culture and Arts).

The governor equally pledged to offset the Ksh100,000 medical bill accrued after Sagini was hospitalised following the incident.

Former Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko offered a Ksh400,000 reward to any police officer who would track down and eliminate the gang members responsible as well as Ksh200,000 to any member of the public who would offer police leads and assist in tracking the gang.

He added that he would also defend the officers in case the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) tracks them down.