15 year old to be charged with murder after dumping newborn baby in a toilet

15 year old to be charged with murder after dumping baby in a toilet

Mumbi Mutuko

August 22, 2019 12:26 PM

Dumped newborn baby

15 year old to be charged with murder after dumping baby in toilet (courtesy)

Police in Eldama Ravine are holding a 15-year-old girl accused of throwing her newborn into a pit latrine.

Sub-county Police commander Rashid Mohammed said the Form One student gave birth in a public toilet then walked out without the baby.

Mohammed said after investigations are completed, the girl will be arraigned and charged with murder.

"So far, investigations show that the girl gave birth in a pit latrine and then dumped the baby there. We are holding her for questioning," Mr Mohamed said.

15 year old to be charged with murder after dumping baby in toilet (courtesy) Pulse Live Kenya

“Though the suspect is a minor, she will still be charged with murder," he added.

Teen pregnancies in Kenya

The girl, according to the police, went into labour on Tuesday evening before she rushed to the toilet and locked herself in and returned to the house where she lived alone.

A report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), showed that nearly 378,400 teen girls in Kenya became pregnant between July 2016 and June 2017.

About 28,932 girls aged between 10 and 14 years were impregnated during the survey while 349,465 girls were expectant between 15 to 19 years.

Persons aged 19 years and below account for more than half of the population while those aged 15 years and below form 45% of the country's population.

Debate on consent age

Early sexual debut, unplanned pregnancy, and a higher number of births remain issues for adolescent girls and young women.

Girls failing to sit their KSCE due to teen pregnancies Pulse Live Kenya

In 2018 alarm was raised over the high number of girls failing to sit their final secondary school examinations (KSCE) due to teen pregnancies.

Only 50 per cent of adolescents transition to secondary school with high dropout rates, particularly for girls.

There was heated public debate on whether to reduce the legal age of sexual consent to 16, with many fearing that such a move will promote sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.

Mumbi Mutuko