Baby Sagini, the three-year-old boy whose eyes were gouged out in a brutal attack that shocked the nation last December, has told a Kisii court that it was his grandmother Rael Nyakerario Mayaka who committed the heinous act.
Sagini, who is currently under state protection, was giving his testimony Friday before Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno of the Kisii Law Courts.
He and his sister Shantel Kemunto were testifying virtually. They were with their caregiver Josephine Karimi, who is looking after the two from an undisclosed location.
When his lawyer, Ms Anita Nduhukire, asked Sagini to tell her who Ms Mayaka was, the minor said he does not want to hear about her.
"Yule alinitoa macho, sitaki kuongea kumhusu (She's the one who removed my eyes, I don't want to talk about her)," Sagini said then refused to take any more questions from the lawyer.
Later on, Shantel told the court how she and her brother were sent to fetch water from a nearby spring by their grandmother, when her brother went missing. Sagini was found dumped in a maize farm the following day with his eyes gouged out.
For her part, Ms Karimi, who is a social worker, told the court that she took in the two children in December for psychosocial support and care as they awaited hearing of the case.
She testified that when she received them, they were both traumatised, but that Sagini was more disturbed and would throw tantrums.
"He could only speak in Ekegusii but through our support, he now speaks some good Swahili. Sagini and his sister looked like they were in a violent environment from some of the behaviour that we witnessed in them," Ms Karimi said.
"At first, they used to overfeed and this shows that they were not being fed well,” she added.
One of Sagini’s aunts, Mary Kemunto Makori, who was among relatives that were called after he was discovered, also testified in court today.
The prosecution has three more witnesses that it will line up before the court. One is under state protection and will testify on March 24, 2023. The other two are the arresting and investigating officers, who will be in court next week on Friday, March 17.
From left: Suspects Alex Maina Ochogo (second left), Pacificah Nyakerario and Rael Mayaka (grandmother) at the magistrate court in Kisii on February 2, 2023.
Photo credit: Ruth Mbula | Nation Media Group
Two more suspects are being held for causing grievous harm to Sagini. They are Ms Pacificah Nyakerario (aunt) and Mr Alex Maina Ochogo (cousin). They have denied the charges .
