Baby dumped in a Nakuru pit latrine by mother rescued

A nurse attends to a new born baby at the Rift Valley Provincial General. The baby boy was dumped by her biological mother at Ingobo trading center in Nakuru West Sub County immediately after birth. September 3, 2016. PHOTO: MERCY KAHENDA/Standard

NAKURU: A newborn baby dumped in a pit latrine by its mother has been rescued and is receiving treatment in hospital.

The baby was rushed to the Rift Valley General Hospital by well-wishers after being retrieved from a pit latrine inside a pub at Ingobor centre, Nakuru West sub-county.

Henry Ng'ang'a, a resident, said he heard about the incident while at work and rushed to the scene where he heard the baby boy crying inside the pit latrine.

Together with other people, they dug a hole outside the bar building and rescued the baby.

 "What happened is unfortunate but we thank God we were able to retrieve the baby alive," he said.
Peter Koech, who was among those who escorted the child to the hospital, said the rescue mission took them four hours.

He said it was through God's favour that the child survived.

"It took four hours to rescue the child and we didn't expect to find it alive, but our prayers were answered," said Koech.

Locals stare at a hole that well-wishers dug to rescue the newborn

The infant, they alleged, belonged to a woman who works as a pub attendant at the centre and was said to have come to the area a few months ago.

 Her neighbours claim they had seen her pregnant on Friday and in the company of another woman and she was still carrying the pregnancy.

Eyewitnesses said the baby must have been dumped into the pit latrine immediately after it was born. 

The woman has been arrested for interrogation. Nehemiah Cheruiyot, a resident and a Nyumba Kumi representative, said such incidents are rare in the area.

 Hezron Okiki, another resident said the act was criminal and an offence that should not be tolerated, adding that people should uphold good morals and ethics.
Cheruiyot advised women not to give birth if they are not ready to take up parental responsibilities.

"This is a rare incident. Women should give birth and take care of their children," he said.