Residents of Mûrûri shopping center in Kirinyaga county woke up to a shocking incident on Sunday, July 10, 2022, after discovering a newborn baby dumped in a pit latrine.
According to Kirimara location chief Naftaly Gichimu, the child was discovered by a man who had gone to the latrine, and after entering he heard a cry of a baby.
The man immediately alerted members of the public who then informed the chief about the issue.
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After that, members of the public joined hands and rescued the baby, alive.
The baby girl was later taken to Kîmbîmbî Hospital in Nyangati ward Mwea East Sub-county where she is undergoing treatment.
"I received a phone call from a Mûrûri area resident who told me that a baby can be heard crying from a pit latrine within the shopping center," the area chief said.
He added that the pit is about 15 feet deep.
Residents condemned the act terming it inhumane.
"It's is very sad for a woman to give birth and dump an innocent child into a pit leaving the baby to die," said a resident identified as Wambura.
Woman condemned for dumping baby
They argue that dire poverty or high cost of living should not be an excuse to carry out such an act.
"People should be responsible for their actions. If you give birth you should be ready to raise the child. You would rather ask for assistance from other people instead of resulting in this," she added.
They are now calling for investigations to be carried out in a bid to arrest the mother, still at large.
In July last year, a woman was arraigned at a Kirinyaga court after she dumped her five-day-old baby in a pit latrine.
Phyllis Nyakio, 23, pleaded guilty to the offense of attempted murder before Kerugoya Court Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku.
Kirinyaga Central Sub-county Police Commander Johnstone Mwarigha said that after dumping the toddler in a pit latrine at Kathitî Village, Nyakio fled to an unknown destination only to show up later at the Kerugoya Level Four Hospital where the child was admitted following a successful rescue operation led by Kirinyaga County Fire Department team.
The moment she walked into the hospital, at around 4:00 pm, the medics attending to the newborn baby at the hospital alerted the police who moved in swiftly to arrest her.
"It is like she was monitoring the whole situation because the rushed to the hospital when she learnt that her kid had been taken there for treatment. Immediately she walked into the hospital, the medics alerted us and we moved in with speed to arrest her," the police boss said.
