Kisumu Woman in Pain as Court Revokes Guardianship of Dead Friend's Child She Raised for 9 Years

• Angela Mutwanga Odiaga is a troubled woman because, as a child, she raised for nine years; she was taken by her relatives, who denied the young woman any access to her foster child
• According to Mutwanga, she took the child and its mother in during hard times, and when the mother died, the baby's grandpa asked her to keep the child, and all was sealed in court
• The kid's grandma successfully fought for the revocation of the guardianship, and lawyer Collins Wanderi advised that if she is seen with the kid, she will be considered an abductor

A young woman is having sleepless nights as she can no longer see or visit a young girl she raised as her daughter for nine years.

Mutwanga takes in a colleague with a child

Angela Mutwanga Odiag felt sorry for a colleague who had been having issues paying rent and decided to help her for some time.

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"She was a volunteer at work and I later learnt that the lady was also a single mum of one beautiful girl. After some time, I noticed that he had not been coming to work so I went to look for her," said Mutwang'a.

"I found out that she was living a difficult life and took her in, we stayed together from when the baby was five months old until I was transfered," she added.

Later, Mutwanga recommended that the woman get a job at her workplace;h she was taken on as a casual worker.

Baby's mum dies mysteriously in Kisumu

"She had just worked for three months, and she died mysteriously. At the burial, the kid's grandfather asked me to stay with the child as she was used to me," said the young lady.

Children have a lot of needs, and one of them is healthcare; since the little girl was constantly getting sick, the kind lady thought of formerly adopting the baby so that she could use her medical cover.

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"I went to court with her grandparents and formerly adopted the girl. All hell broke lose when the grandfather died, and I was unable to take the six-year-old for burial since it was during the Corona pandemic and we were under lock down," said Mutwanga.

After the death of the Grandpa, the maternal grandpa came for the baby with a relative who once worked as a social worker, and she confirmed that I was the legal guardian.

Case of the baby reopened

" Although they wanted to see the kid, they always demanded that I send them fare or take the kid to them and as you know I cold not go empty-handed," she said.

"Bondo Child Department said there was nothing they could do. Shortly afterwards, the case was reopened. On December 22, I was in Kisumu High Court, and I did not fee l feel like the court gave me ample time to give my side of the story.

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Since Mutwanga was getting a lot of pressure from the child's maternal family and there was also bad blood between the two families, Mutwanga also decided to let go. Her guardianship was revoked.

Mutwanga was ordered to return the child, but when she was ready for them to pick up the child on January 3, 2024, they only sent fare for one person. The child was later taken to Kisumu, but nobody came for her.

"I had requested to be given time so that the child and I could go into counselling, but sadly, I never got it;" she said.

Mutwanga can't access the child

She also alleged that she was never served any court documents to show that the guardianship had been revoked.

The child's grandma later asked to have the child for the midterm holiday from February 29 to March 6, but since then, Mutwanga has never seen the child.

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"No one has ever asked me for the child's original birth certificate or National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) number so that she can change schools; I don't even know whether she is going to school," she said.

"I don't know what is happening to the child; I want access, just to know how she is doing. The child does not have any mistake," she added.

Collins Wanderi says living relatives have more rights

In an interview with TUKO.co.ke, lawyer Collins Wanderi acknowledged that the lady had done a good job of taking care of the child for nine years.

He, however, cautioned that she does not have legal grounds to hold a child who belongs to another person, primarily if the child has known living relatives.

" If she disobeys that order, she will be arrested and charged with child abduction, which is a very serious offence and carries a heavy sentence of not less than one year," he said.

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"Two, her name will be put in the register of child offenders, and she will be prohibited from working with or near children. Children matters are the fastest way to go to jail," he added.

Bride hugs cries with woman who breastfed her after mum died

In another story, a Tanzanian bride and her foster mum touched the guests at their wedding when they saw each other and started crying.

The two hugged each other, and the guests had to wait for a few minutes so that they could calm down.

According to the bridesmaid, the loving and kind woman picked Witness after her mum died at childbirth and breastfed her.

Source: TUKO.co.ke