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In Rachuonyo South, Homa Bay County, Kenya, police apprehended a 32-year-old woman on Saturday night, January 13, 2024. She is accused of killing her one-day-old baby by drowning it in a pool of water and subsequently burying the infant in a nearby farm. The arrest was initiated due to suspicions raised by vigilant neighbors who observed the woman and her child missing for an extended period during the day. Alarmed by this, they reported the situation to a village elder, leading Kamuma Sub-location Assistant Chief Collins Joram to conduct an investigation.
A woman gave birth on January 11, and sadly, her baby died on January 13. To conceal the body, the suspect placed it in a box and buried it in a shallow grave. The delivery occurred at a house owned by a community health promoter, as shared by Mr. Joram, the administrator.
The deceased infant was the woman’s fourth child. Her other three children witnessed her placing the newborn in cold water on Friday, seemingly with the intent to drown her. Unaware of the tragedy, the children thought their sibling was asleep when they returned home from school.
The suspect, allegedly with her sixth-grade daughter’s help, buried the baby in a box on an abandoned farm about a kilometer away. Neighbors became suspicious on Saturday when they didn’t see the woman breastfeeding the baby, prompting inquiries.
Local administration was alerted, leading Mr. Joram to question the children, who revealed the tragic incident. With police intervention, the woman guided officers to the makeshift grave, where the body was exhumed. She was arrested and detained at the Oyugis police station pending arraignment.
Further investigations disclosed that the suspect had divorced her husband three years ago. When questioned, the man claimed to be unaware of the child’s existence.
