A view of the Eldoret High Court in this picture on November 02, 2022.
For three days, Ms Sylvia Bosibori went about her daily routines with the enthusiasm of a primary school teacher, as if nothing had happened.
She marked school attendance registers, carried out domestic chores, and cheerfully greeted neighbours in the Joyland area of Kapsaos in Turbo sub-County.
But behind her house’s locked door lay the decomposing body of her nine-year-old son.
The darker side of Ms Bosibori stunned the Eldoret High Court as chilling details emerged of how she allegedly mixed morphine (a potent medication used to treat chronic pain) with soda, gave it to her only child, and watched him die before heading to work.
On Monday, the court heard how the teacher allegedly subjected her own child to a painful death. State counsel said the incident read like a script from a psychological thriller.
The prosecution told Justice Emily Ominde how the accused allegedly planned and carried out the murder of her only child over differences with the boy’s father four years ago.
Justice Emily Ominde
Court documents revealed that Ms Bosibori allegedly used morphine, a potent painkiller, mixed with a soft drink to end her child’s life.
Ironically, the court heard that she did not flee after the act. Instead, she reportedly locked the lifeless body of the boy in the bedroom before proceeding to the school where she taught.
It took three days for the stench of death to reveal what had happened. Disturbed by the foul smell coming from the house, neighbours peeped through a window and saw the boy’s decomposing body lying on the bed.
“The suspect continued with her normal school and household routines after poisoning her son. She would lock the door from the outside and go to school while her son lay dead inside,” the prosecution told the court.
When police first arrested her, they claimed she was angered by the boy’s father for neglecting his parental responsibilities after impregnating her.
The court heard that the parties had attempted to resolve the matter through negotiations, but the efforts were unsuccessful.
The prosecution informed the court that negotiations between the two parties had reached a dead end. The woman was then formally charged with the murder of her only child.
The hearing will continue before a new judge after Justice Ominde was transferred to Bungoma.
During the adjournment, the accused, through her lawyer, requested an earlier hearing date, stating that she had waited a long time for the case to proceed.
“We request the court give us a new date for the full trial in the murder case facing the accused person now that the plea bargain process has failed to yield a resolution,” the defense lawyer said.
The prosecution has lined up nine key witnesses.
Ms Bosibori, who is currently out on a Sh30,000 cash bail, is charged with committing the murder between May 17 and May 20, 2022.
The hearing will continue on April 21, 2026, following a failed plea bargain attempt.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
