It appears that relatives of a Kenyan woman, Peninah Bahati Kitsao (36), who appears on the news at the beginning of this month after cooking stones for her starving children, have tried to steal donated money she received from benefactors.
This was confirmed by Kisauni deputy commissioner Jamleck Mbuba, who said that some relatives of Peninah Bahati Kitsao, from Kisauni, Mombasa, have tried to take away some money from her bank and MPesa accounts.
They even stole her national identity card and went to the bank with it in the hope that they could withdraw money, said Mbuba, according to Kenya news. A committee to help Peninah manage her newfound wealth has decided to move together with her children to a four-bedroom house until the construction of her new home is completed.
Peninah was moved to an unknown location to repel opportunists, according to Elvina Mzungu, Mombasa county senior social worker. She also registered with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) for the next three years.
This is so that when she or one of her children falls ill, she will be treated at almost no cost in a public hospital, said Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo, a member of the Committee. Naivas Supermarket Nyali branch has given the mother an SH50,000 voucher. In contrast, the children’s department and the Ministry of Education have pledged to provide for the upbringing of her children reports Mwakilishi.
Peninah stayed with seven children after she lost her four-month-old Mary Kaingu on May 7. Her oldest child is 22 and has stopped in form 3.
Mombasa female deputy, Asha Mohamed, had previously deployed two police officers to guard her day and night because her safety was no longer guaranteed due to the overwhelming support she received from benefactors.
During an interview, Peninah explained that she “didn’t believe Kenyans could be that sweet. I have received several phone calls from all over the country asking how they could be useful”. Her husband, Kaingu Charo, was murdered by criminals in Mariakani last June and left her alone to care for children.
