Shock as couple buries two baby dolls in Homa Bay

By GEORGE ODIWUOR 
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Residents of Kamsama village in Homa Bay County were on Wednesday shocked after they found out that a couple had buried two baby dolls in separate coffins.

Locals became suspicious after the couple, Ms Beryl Akinyi and her husband Benson Onyango, hurriedly buried their alleged newborn twins who they claimed died at birth, on Tuesday evening without involving their relatives or friends.

TWO COFFINS

The residents dug out the fresh graves on Wednesday only to discover dolls in the coffins.

According to Mr Akinyi’s brother in-law Mr Wycliffe Ogembo, the woman left home two weeks ago to give birth at Homa Bay County Referral Hospital.

But Homa Bay County Referral Hospital CEO Lillian Kocholla told Nation that the hospital does not have a recent record of Ms Akinyi.

Ms Akinyi told her relatives that she was referred to the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and later Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi after she developed some complications.

Mr Ogembo said her family became suspicious of the numerous referrals and the short time it took her to travel to two different towns.

“Everything happened so fast,” Mr Ogembo said.

On Monday evening, Mr Ogembo said, Ms Akinyi informed her extended family that she delivered twins but they died.

Ms Akinyi’s husband, who is a carpenter, made two coffins on Tuesday morning and by evening the couple had buried the ‘twins’ contrary to the local culture which requires that burial arrangements be made by the extended family or clan.

SUSPICIONS

No one viewed the bodies before burial, and this raised more suspicions.

The locals attacked the couple on Wednesday after they dug out the graves and discovered the dolls in the coffins.

The couple was saved by police officers who arrived at the scene and took them to Mbita Police Station where they are detained.

Homa Bay County police boss Esther Seroney said Ms Akinyi will be taken to hospital for examination to find out whether she recently gave birth or not.

Ms Seroney said police have opened investigation into the incident.