Teenager forced to sell newborn for Sh3,000 in Kakamega

A 17-year-old girl in Butere, Kakamega County, was forced to sell her new born baby immediately she gave birth.

According to Citizen, the form two student sold her baby with the help of her mother after she was chased away by the father.

The father said that that the pregnancy was a taboo as her daughter was impregnated by a close relative. He added that the pregnancy violated the traditions and culture of the society.

The mother, who confessed to aiding her daughter sell the baby, agreed with the girl’s father that the newborn would be treated as an outcast.

She added that the decision to sell the baby was also informed by the difficult financial situations the family was facing.

“When I explained to my mother about the baby, she looked for someone who would buy the baby. I gave birth on Friday, but they said the baby was too weak and so they should take the baby on Sunday. Yesterday my mother left carrying the baby and sold her to the buyer,” says the girl.

Police have since launched a manhunt for the woman who purchased the baby. 

According to data from the Kenya Data and Health Survey, one in every five girls between ages 15-19 is already a mother or pregnant.

Statistics from the Global Childhood showed that Kenya has the third-highest rates of teenage pregnancies.

The United Nations Population Fund Report showed that between July 2016 and June 2017, Kenya recorded 378, 397 teenage pregnancies.