A family in Marambach, Saboti Sub County in Trans Nzoia County have been forced to hide their mentality challenged daughter in a food store to deter sex pests whom they say have been preying on her.
Rebecca Erupee, the victim's aunt, said that they were forced to keep Ruth Lopei who is mentally ill as well as deaf and dumb in a granary to hide her from men who have been trying to take advantage of her. Ruth is about 40 years old.
The aunt said that they had to hide Lopei in the store together with her seven-month-old child. She has given birth to eight kids in total.
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“We are wondering why men in this area are taking advantage of this child. Every time she goes out, she comes back pregnant and no man is ready to come forward and claim his child. Her father is eventually left with the burden of taking care of the kids," Erupe said.
Erupee also claimed that Lopei is also violent and that keeping her in the granary could help calm her down.
“Apart from sexual escapades, she is also very wild. She recently attacked me and beat me up for five hours leaving me with a broken leg when I took food to her,” the elderly woman lamented.
“If we take the baby, she will climb through the roof and pick up the baby and wash her in the mud before drying her like a teddy bear. We have, therefore, been forced to administer a five-year family planning method on her," she added.
Erupee said that her niece's ordeal started years back after she was allegedly cursed by a mother of a local girl she had previously beaten.
“They were coming out of a water hole when they differed with a local girl and she slapped her. It was from this incident that the girl's mother told Lopei that she will never find peace. Since that day she has remained insane," Erupee said.
Erupee said that Lopei is an orphan and that she has been forced to cater for her medication and provide security.
She, however, lamented of not benefiting from various funds that the government give out to help the disabled.
Due to the inaccessibility of funds from the government and help from well-wishers, the family said that they have resolved to hide Lopei in the granary. According to them, this will help them save money they would have used to buy her contraceptive pills.
