There was a disturbing moment for residents of Kamsama village in Homa Bay County when they found out that a woman who is alleged to have given birth said her children died during delivery in a Nairobi hospital and buried them but when residents suspected the couple, they dug up the grave only to find two baby dolls in separate coffins.
Ms Beryl Akinyi and her husband Benson Onyango are said to have left home two weeks ago to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital where the wife would deliver.
But upon investigations, Homa Bay County Referral Hospital CEO Lillian Kocholla told Nation that the hospital does not have a recent record of Ms Akinyi, meaning she never reported to the hospital as earlier alleged.
Ms Akinyi told her relatives that she was referred to the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and later Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi after she developed some complications.
Mr Ogembo said her family became suspicious of the numerous referrals and the short time it took her to travel to two different towns.
“Everything happened so fast,” Mr Ogembo said.
On Monday evening, Mr Ogembo said, Ms Akinyi informed her extended family that she delivered twins but they died.
Ms Akinyi’s husband, who is a carpenter, made two coffins on Tuesday morning and by evening the couple had buried the ‘twins’ contrary to the local culture which requires that burial arrangements be made by the extended family or clan.
Locals became suspicious after the couple, Ms Beryl Akinyi and her husband Benson Onyango, hurriedly buried their alleged newborn twins who they claimed died at birth, on Tuesday evening without involving their relatives or friends.
No one viewed the bodies before burial, and this raised more suspicions.
The locals attacked the couple on Wednesday after they dug out the graves and discovered the dolls in the coffins.
The couple was saved by police officers who arrived at the scene and took them to Mbita Police Station where they are detained.
Homa Bay County police boss Esther Seroney said Ms Akinyi will be taken to hospital for examination to find out whether she recently gave birth or not.
Ms Seroney said police have opened investigation into the incident.