Nancy Wambui, a young mother from Kiharu in Murang’a County, has shared her painful journey of spending two years in prison while pregnant after her then-boyfriend allegedly abandoned her following her arrest.
Speaking about her experience, Nancy said her life had already been marked by hardship long before she found herself behind bars.
She dropped out of school after her family was unable to afford her education and became pregnant at the age of 18. Although the child’s father later expressed interest in marrying her, Nancy said her mother turned him away, believing she was still too young for marriage.
After giving birth to her first child in 2021, Nancy struggled to provide for her family, relying on casual jobs to buy basic necessities, including milk for her baby.
Her challenges worsened in 2022 following the death of her father, leaving her mother to care for eight children with limited resources.
Nancy later began a relationship with another man, whom she said she had known for only about five months.
According to her account, the man visited her while she was seven months pregnant. That same night, goats reportedly disappeared from her uncle’s homestead.
She said suspicion quickly fell on her because neighbours had seen the man visiting her before the alleged theft.
Nancy recalled that she was asleep when two police officers arrived at her home and escorted her to the police station, where she was accused of stealing a blouse and facilitating a break-in.
She maintained that she had no involvement in the alleged offences and insisted there was no evidence linking her to the theft.
However, she said her boyfriend disappeared immediately after learning she had been arrested, switching off his phone and never contacting her again.
Nancy was remanded in custody and later spent two years in prison, where she gave birth to her second child.
Looking back on the ordeal, the mother of two said the experience changed her life forever, leaving her to raise her children after enduring years of emotional and financial hardship.
She maintains that despite the accusations, there was no direct evidence connecting her to the alleged crime, yet she lost two years of her life while seeking justice.
