Woman Jailed 12 Months for Stealing One-Month-Old Baby in Ntcheu
Published on July 21, 2026 at 2:10 PM by Edgar Naitha
A court in Ntcheu District has sentenced 19-year-old Upile Macheke to 12 months’ imprisonment for stealing a one-month-old baby.
The court heard that on July 8, Upile visited her friend, Ester, in the Kampepuza area. While there, she asked Ethel Moses, a domestic worker, for a glass of water and requested to hold the baby, claiming the child’s mother was busy.
She later asked for permission to take the baby to the market. The mother agreed, but Upile never returned, prompting the family to report the matter to Nsipe Police.
On the night of July 9, Ntcheu Police, working in collaboration with Mozambican authorities, arrested Upile in Mozambique, where she resides.
Appearing before the court, Upile pleaded guilty to the charge. She told the court that she stole the baby to convince her boyfriend that she had given birth to his child after falsely claiming she was pregnant.
