Woman Jailed Three Years for Stealing Toddler in Love Triangle

A Mombasa court jailed a 26-year-old woman for three years in a child stealing case that shocked Mombasa County, after she snatched a toddler from a love triangle rival and fled with the child to Bungoma County in western Kenya.

Asha Wanyonyi pleaded guilty to child stealing before Principal Magistrate Hon. Jamlick Murithi.

Prosecution Counsel Martin Mbote told the court that Wanyonyi stole a three-year-old child on March 20, 2026, in the Soweto/Kiwerera area of Likoni Sub-county. The child’s mother, Mispher Chepkenoi, was the victim.

Child Stealing in Mombasa: How the Case Unfolded

According to the prosecution, Wanyonyi targeted Chepkenoi because of a romantic relationship between Chepkenoi and Wanyonyi’s estranged husband. The affair had lasted two years. It created deep tension among all three adults.

On the day of the incident, Wanyonyi waited for Chepkenoi to leave for work. The child stayed at home with her elderly grandmother. As the grandmother attended to chores inside, Wanyonyi crept in and snatched the toddler. She then left quickly.

Meanwhile, Wanyonyi packed her belongings, crossed the Likoni ferry, and boarded a bus to Bungoma. During the journey, she texted Chepkenoi to inform her she had taken the child.

Chepkenoi left work immediately and reported the incident at Likoni Police Station. Detectives launched a manhunt. Officers later tracked Wanyonyi to Bungoma and recovered the child safely.

Court Hears Love Triangle Drove the Offence

Magistrate Murithi ordered a pre-sentence report from the Probation Department before passing sentence. The report gave the court deeper context on the circumstances behind the offence.

In the report, Wanyonyi admitted she acted out of jealousy. She told probation officers that her husband’s affair with Chepkenoi drove her to take the child as a way to disrupt the relationship. She expressed remorse for the distress caused.

Wanyonyi pleaded guilty twice during the proceedings. The magistrate warned her of the consequences on both occasions. However, she maintained her guilty plea throughout.

As a result, the court handed down a three-year custodial sentence. The magistrate cited the need for deterrence in cases involving children.