By John Majau
Police officers in Imenti North District have arrested a woman for allegedly conspiring with her daughter to dump a four-day-old baby boy in a sewer in Meru town.
Meru Municipality chief Mercy Murithi said the baby was wrapped in a polythene paper before it was dumped in a sewer at Gakoromone open-air market.
“The baby survived miraculously and was rescued by the public,” said Ms Murithi.
She said residents claimed the mother was planning to abandon the baby after she delivered it by the road before good Samaritans rushed the two to hospital.
She said the grandmother, Stella Gakui, was cornered at her homestead but the infant’s mother, Florence Mukiri, escaped immediately after the incident.
“Following a tip-off from the public, the baby was rescued and rushed to Meru Level Five Hospital where he is admitted,” chief Murithi told The Standard.
Rhoda Gatwiri, a cousin to the baby’s mother, said the grandmother had earlier claimed that the child was not breathing normally before they left home pretending they were going to hospital only to dump the baby in the sewer.
Survived
She said the baby survived because the paper bag did not let in water since it was not torn and members of the public discovered him in time.
“The mother is said to have claimed that she has three other children from different fathers and was not ready for this one,” said Ms Murithi.
The Nursing Officer in Charge of Meru Level Five Hospital, Ms Julia Muthomi, said the hospital has received two babies who have been rescued this week.
She urged residents to embrace family planning by siring children who they are able to take care of or take them to children’s homes instead of dumping them.
“We have examined the baby and he is in good condition and I urge parents to take babies as a blessing, which should not be thrown away,” she said.
The second baby was rescued by police officers after being abandoned along the Meru-Maua road near Meru School.
Chief Murithi called on those unable to raise children to seek assistance from the authorities, saying there are many children’s homes and rescue centres in the area.
