Police arrest nurse for allegedly helping mother dump newborn in latrine

A nurse at Kimbimbi sub county hospital, Kirinyaga County was on Thursday arrested following allegations that she assisted a new mother to dump her newborn baby in a pit latrine on Sunday.

The baby who was stuck in the latrine for four hours was discovered by a watchman who reported the matter to Hospital Administrator Nancy Kuria.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Nancy said the baby was discovered after some patients complained of hearing the persistent cry of a baby coming from the latrines.

“I got a report that some patients heard the persistent cry of a baby coming from the pit latrines used by the hospitals inpatients,” she said.

Ms Kuria noted that there are no records of the delivery at Kimbimbi Sub County Hospital; prompting the suspicion that one of the nurses at the hospital had a hand in the dumping of the baby. She added that the hospital is well secured with a fence that is always under guard so it is unlikely that the baby was dumped by someone from outside.

The hospital administrator confirmed that the baby was rescued alive covered in human waste and maggots.

According to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital Deputy Nurse Nancy Gitari, the 2.5kgs baby had his skin injured by the maggots and the placenta still in place.

Photo: The latrine where the baby was dumped

“When the abandoned baby arrived at the hospital it was not in a stable condition as it had maggots coming out of its nostrils, ears and mouth,” Nancy Gitari said.

The baby is still recuperating at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital newborn unit.

Mwea East OCPD Kizito Mutoro said police have launched investigations into the matter to determine the identity of the baby’s mother and whether or not the accused nurse is culpable.

Photo: Kimbimbi sub county hospital Maternity ward 

Meanwhile, Meru South and Maara Children’s Officer David Osoro has revealed that 1,245 cases of child neglect were reported in the area between the month of January and July this year.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, the officer associated the high number with the breakdown of families that see the mothers report fathers who are not sharing responsibility of bringing up the children to the children’s office.