Shock and disbelief has gripped Kyeni Village in Kauma Location after police arrested an 18-year-old girl accused of secretly inducing labour and dumping her two newborn babies in a nearby thicket.
The disturbing incident came to light after a school-going boy stumbled upon the lifeless infants on his way home, prompting locals to alert authorities.
Confirming the incident to Channel 15 News, Kauma Chief Jane Kimanzi said she rushed to the scene after receiving distress calls from residents horrified by the discovery.
“It was a heartbreaking scene. The community is in shock. We immediately involved the police, and investigations led us to the young woman suspected of carrying out the act,” Chief Kimanzi said.
Channel 15 News was present as the chief and local administration officers combed through nearby homesteads, eventually identifying the teenager believed to have given birth before dumping the newborns.
A neighbour who requested anonymity revealed that the girl had allegedly procured the abortion on Monday, just days after returning home from Kabati town in Kitui, where she is said to have been working before falling pregnant.
The bodies of the newborns were taken to the Kitui County Referral Hospital morgue as investigations continue.
A Growing Crisis: Kenya’s Silent Abortion Epidemic
This chilling case adds to a worrying rise in unsafe abortions across Kenya, particularly among young women and teenage girls.
Health officials warn that despite Kenya’s strict laws only allowing abortion when a mother’s life is in danger, many girls continue to seek unsafe procedures due to stigma, poverty, and lack of access to reproductive health education.
Community elders in Kitui now want urgent action, urging parents, schools, and churches to guide and counsel the youth before desperation leads to tragedy.
“We are watching a generation fall apart because of silence and shame. This is not just a crime — it’s a cry for help,” said one village elder.
As police pursue justice for the two lost infants, the heartbreaking incident serves as a grim reminder of Kenya’s deepening reproductive health crisis that continues to claim innocent lives in silence.
