Maid who allegedly murdered baby to be transferred to Kampala

Emilian Kayima, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson. Photo/File

Juliet Nanyonjo, the maid who allegedly strangled a six months old baby early last week, remains under police custody in Koboko district, New Vision has learnt.

According to Emilian Kayima, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson, Nanyonjo will be transferred to Kawempe police station, the region where she committed the crime, before the end of the week.

"She is still being held at the Koboko police post pending transfer," Kayima who did not reveal more information on the matter said.

Asked about the baby's postmortem report, he said though not yet out, plans were in place to have Nanyonjo's file sent to the Director of Public Prosecution real quick.

On Monday last week, Anthony Kalungi and Stellah Nakabuubi, parents to six months old  Abigail Nakayiza were shocked to learn that their healthy baby left under the care of her nanny was strangled to death.

The parents are residents of Kaayi zone in Kawanda, on Bombo road, in Wakiso district. After the incident, Nanyonjo fled the couple's home under the pretext of going to the shops.

She was later arrested in Koboko district close to Uganda's boarder with South Sudan.

Incidents of maids torturing toddlers/ children have been on the rise, in the recent past.

For example in May 2013, Police in Kabale municipality held a housemaid (Sylvia Kyarikunda, then aged 18), for suffocating an eight-month-old baby girl.

Kyarikunda in a statement at police testified that she killed a baby with a pillow because the baby used to cry a lot whenever the mother was away.

In December 2014, court handed a four-year jail sentence to house maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, who pleaded guilty to assault of an 18-month-old baby.

Tumuhiirwe, 22, was captured in a video that went viral on several social media platforms battering a helpless toddler who was under her care.