A Kenyan woman has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to kill her baby in Nakuru Country in the northwest of Nairobi, the country’s capital.
Jane Chepkoech had allegedly tried to kill her newly born daughter by dumping her in a pit latrine on September 24, 2020.
Senior Resident Magistrate of a Nakuru County Court, Yvonne Khatambi, allowed the police to detain the 37-year-old suspect for seven days.
Khatambi ruled that investigations into the attempted infanticide required a week to be concluded.
“The suspect will remain in police custody for seven days to enable the police to conduct investigations into the alleged incident,” directed Khatambi.
Chepkoech will be detained at Mwariki Police Station following a request by corporal Abraham Simotwo.
Simotwo, who applied for the detention of Chepkoech as they investigate alleged infanticide, told the court that the suspect allegedly after giving birth threw her baby in a pit latrine in an attempt to end its life at their home of Kwa Senior Estate within Nakuru.
He said that the suspect’s landlord Peter Munene reported to the police that an infant was heard crying inside the rental premise’ pit latrine.
He said that the police together with members of the public managed to rescue the infant from the latrine and escorted her to Rift Valley Provision General Hospital where she was admitted and now in stable condition.
He added that the suspect was identified and apprehended by the public shortly after the baby was rescued on September 24.
“The suspect had blood stains on her cloth and appeared disturbed. She was taken to the hospital, examined and treated,” he said.
She was discharged on Thursday and detained at the station for the offense of attempted infanticide.
Khatambi said that he needed ten days to conduct investigations and do a DNA test on the suspect and the child to confirm their relationship.
The case will be mentioned on October 9.