Machakos woman in court for ‘giving birth’ in pit latrine

A 20-year-old woman has been put on probation for 18 months for reportedly attempting to dump her newborn child in a latrine.

Janet Kavindu pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to throw away her one-day infant in a pit latrine on June 13 in Masii Location of Machakos County.

In her defence, the accused told court that it was her first pregnancy and that she did not know that the baby was due.

“I called for help after the baby fell in the latrine. That is when I was helped to retrieve the newborn,” she told the court.

She also pleaded for leniency and was handed a non-custodial sentence.

The baby boy was taken to Machakos Level Five Hospital and is set to be discharged into to the care of his maternal grandmother.