An employee at Nairobi’s Mama Lucy Kibaki hospital, Fred Leparan, was filmed accepting $2,500 (£2,000) to sell a baby boy.

As a result of his arrest in 2020, he was convicted of child trafficking, child neglect, and conspiracy to commit crimes.

Co-accused Selina Adundo was sentenced to six years in jail or a fine of $2,000.

Africa Eye reporter approached Leparan posing as a potential buyer after hearing from a source that the senior clinical social worker had been involved in illegal child trafficking.

Prior to selling the baby boy, Leparan asked the undercover reporter only cursory questions about her and her husband’s situation.

During the transfer of the baby boy and two other children from the hospital to a state-run children’s home, Leparan was filmed falsifying paperwork to make the home expect two children, not three.

All three children were delivered directly to the children’s home, but Leparan amended the paperwork and informed them that the child was theirs to keep.

On Wednesday, a Kenyan court sentenced Leparan to 25 years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation.

Adundo, who worked at the hospital, was convicted of three counts of child neglect but acquitted of child trafficking.

Both Leparan and Adundo should never be allowed to handle children’s matters, the court has ruled.

Even though Leparan has really strong evidence against him, this case has dragged on for more than two years.

Despite retaining one of the best legal defenses in Kenya, the news eventually acknowledged that it was him in the undercover footage.