Kenyan Woman Searches for American Boyfriend who Fled with their Two-Year-Old Son

A 28-year-old Kenyan woman is looking for her American boyfriend after he allegedly escaped with their two-year-old son.

Lilian Mwai, a beautician in Nakuru town, says that her lover, Matthew Stumpf Herbert left their house in Nakuru's Koinange estate on January 22nd.

Lillian says Stumpf left with his personal documents, including his passport, and their son without her consent.

“I am worried Herbert, whom I have been dating for the past three years, may have left the country with my son,” says Mwai.

She says trouble began a few weeks ago after she discovered that Stumpf was cheating on her.

“We have been in a relationship for some time now. Problems started when I realized he had been chatting with several girls on his phone. When I tried to stop him, he beat me up saying I am rude,” she explains.

After the incident, Ms. Mwai says she left the house and traveled to Kisumu with her friends, leaving Stumpf with their son.

After she returned from Kisumu, she spent the night at one of her friend's house and later met Stumpf in a hotel in Nakuru in a bid to solve their differences. After failing to agree, she went to Kaptembwo Police Station and filed a report accusing him of assault.

However, when police officers accompanied her to the house to arrest Stumpf, they found the man had left. He carried his passport and that of their son.

“I never knew he was planning to leave. I was shocked to get into the house and find he had picked all his belongings and taken off with our son,” says Mwai adding that she met Herbert through her cousin. 

She says Herbert lives in the US but occasionally visits Kenya. Nakuru deputy OCPD Daniel Kitavi says they were investigating the matter.