Woman narrowly escapes lynching after she was wrongly accused of baby theft

A 36-year-old woman narrowly escaped being lynched after she was accused of stealing a baby at Kakraba Junction in the Central Region.

The woman, identified as Monica Nandara, owns a shop and is into the production of pastry products along the Nyanyano stretch.

According to reports, she was trying to offer help to a homeless woman and her child on March 14, 2023, when she was accused of stealing the baby by the homeless woman.

Narrating the incident, Monica said she was working late on the fateful day when one of her apprentices informed her of a woman lying on the shoulder of the Nyanyano road together with her baby.

She said she decided to help the woman by asking why she was out with her months-old baby at that time of the night.

According to Monica, the woman indicated that she had been sacked from a kiosk she occupies by the owner for failing to pay the rent and had nowhere to sleep.

Monica and her apprentices decided to take the woman back to the kiosk and pay for the rent, but things turned sour while on the way to the venue, the woman began to shout for help when they got to Kakraba junction, accusing Monica of trying to steal her baby.

This triggered an angry mob to attack them. Some even suggested that she and her apprentice be burnt to death to serve as a deterrent to others who intend to perpetrate similar crimes.

However, she was able to convince the mob of their innocence, and their lives were spared.

Meanwhile, the woman whose identity Monica cannot remember was handed over to the police after they were called in but was later released.

In an interview, Monica said despite surviving the incident, she is traumatized and feels reluctant to offer help to people.