Homa Bay woman arrested for allegedly drowning, burying her baby
The suspect exhumes the body of her day-old infant in Rachuonyo South, Homa Bay County, on January 13, 2024.
Police in Rachuonyo South, Homa Bay County, have arrested a 32-year-old woman accused of killing her one-day-old baby by drowning it in a basin of water before burying it on a farm.
The woman was arrested on Saturday night after her neighbours became suspicious when they did not see her with the baby and reported the matter to a village elder, who called the Kamuma Sub-location Assistant Chief Collins Joram to investigate the matter.
The suspect had given birth on Thursday before the baby died on Saturday. She is said to have buried the baby's body in a shallow grave. According to Mr Joram, the suspect gave birth to her fourth child on Thursday night at a community health promoter's house.
"She had a successful delivery in the village and was assisted by a community health promoter. It was a girl," the administrator said.
On Friday, the other three children reported seeing their mother place her last born in a basin of cold water, allegedly to drown her.
Mr Joram said when the pupils returned home from school later that day, they found the infant on the bed covered with a white cloth.
"They thought the baby was asleep and did not want to wake her up. None of them knew that she was dead," the administrator said.
Later that night, the suspect allegedly called her daughter, who is in sixth grade, to accompany her to a farm in the neighbourhood.
Mr Joram said the pupil reported seeing her mother put the baby's body in a carton before carrying it out of the house.
They walked at least one kilometre where they dug a hole and laid the box, which was then covered with soil.
Some neighbours, eager to see the newborn, began questioning the woman on Saturday when they did not see her breastfeeding her baby. The matter was then reported to the local administration.
Mr Joram said he went to the woman's house and interrogated the children, who revealed what had transpired.
"I immediately called the police to take over the case. The woman agreed to lead the officers to where she had buried the child," the administrator said.
She dug up the grave and removed the carton containing the body. Security officers later arrested her and took her to Oyugis police station.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect had divorced her husband about three years ago. When questioned, the man said he had no idea the woman had given birth.
