Police in Rachuonyo South, Homa Bay County, Kenya, have detained a 32-year-old woman accused of drowning her one-day-old infant and burying it in a nearby field.
On Saturday night, January 13, 2024, the woman and her child were arrested after neighbours noted their disappearance for an extended length of time during the day.
Concerned, they informed a local elder, causing Kamuma Sub-location Assistant Chief Collins Joram to conduct an investigation.
The mother gave birth on Thursday, January 11, and the baby died tragically on Saturday, January 13. The suspect chose to conceal the body by placing it in a box and burying it in a small earthen grave.
Mr Joram claims that the suspect had a successful delivery at the home of a community health promotion.
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“She had a successful delivery within the village and was assisted by a community health promoter. It was a girl,” stated the administrator.
The infant who died was the woman’s fourth child. On Friday, the other three children saw their mother reportedly drowning the newborn by placing her in a basin of cold water.
When the children got home from school later that day, they were unaware of the dreadful events that had occurred.
The suspect then allegedly enlisted her sixth-grade daughter’s assistance in accompanying her to a neighbouring abandoned farm. After going at least one kilometre, they allegedly buried the infant in a box.
Neighbours became concerned when they didn’t see the woman breastfeeding the infant on Saturday, prompting inquiry.
The incident was reported to the local authorities, prompting Mr Joram to question the children, who revealed the unfortunate circumstances.
When cops arrived, the woman escorted them to the makeshift burial, where the body was exhumed. She was arrested and held at the Oyugis police station pending arraignment.
Further inquiry discovered that the suspect divorced her spouse approximately three years ago, and when questioned, the man claimed he was unaware of the child’s existence.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli