Mombasa,KENYA:A woman who hired her womb and later handed the child to another party after giving birth has been charged in court.
Josephine Muthoni, 27, and two Singapore citizens Neon Kian and Dr. Mahesh Chudasama appeared in court today for acts related to child trafficking.
She is accused handing over a baby to a Chinese man after giving birth at Mombasa hospital with the help of Dr, Chudasama.
Muthoni had been in agreement with a Chinese couple to be a surrogate to their baby.
According to the charge sheet, Muthoni had made an agreement to hire out her womb at sh 30,000 per month and she would receive sh 28,500 each month for the entire gestation period.
She was also to receive a final sum of sh 500,000 after documentation of the child and release through court procedure to the intended parent who in this case was to be the Chinese couple.
However, she conspired with Dr. Chudasama and offered the child to Neo Kian unlawfully for adoption and facilitated the child to be removed from Kenya to Singapore.
The child was taken to Baby Life Rescue Centre pending application for protection and care case at Children’s Court Mombasa.
The accused have been released on a surety bond of sh 1million or a cash bail of sh 500,000 pending hearing on 13th August.
A bill regarding In-Vitro Fertilization in Kenya has been pending.
According to the Bill, a woman (at least 25 years old) may have an embryo of another couple places or artificially inseminated in her for purposes of surrogate motherhood. The intended parents must be a heterosexual couple in a stable relationship.
The surrogate mother carries the child on behalf of the couple then relinquishes all parental rights over the child unless a contrary intention is proved.
