Officers from Kapsoya Police Station in Uasin Gichu county have launched a manhunt for a 21-year-old woman suspected of dumping a foetus in the toilet.
The young lady is suspected of procuring an abortion and throwing the foetus in a pit latrine in Munyaka estate in Eldoret.
The lady is said to be on the run following the incident.
The complaint was lodged by the neighbours who noticed the foetus inside the latrine.
Police have since recovered the body of the foetus, which is now lying in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue.
Speaking to the press, David Sitati Wanyama confirmed that the neighbours noticed the foetus and reported the incident.
It is unclear whether the parents and the man who impregnated her were aware of the incident.
Teenage pregnancies
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), teenage pregnancy and motherhood rate in Kenya stands at 18%’.
“This implies that about 1 in every 5 teenage girls between the ages of 15-19 years, have either had a live birth or are pregnant with their first child. The rate increases rapidly with age from 3% among girls aged 15, to 40% among girls aged 19.
“The situation varies by county with some counties being disproportionately affected than others.
“This policy brief looks at drivers of teenage pregnancy and motherhood such as lack of education including education on sexual and reproductive health; poverty; early sexual initiation; harmful cultural practices such as child marriages; sexual abuse/violence and barriers to access to sexual and reproductive health services,” the UNESCO report read.
The statistics shared show that unplanned pregnancies are a huge menace in Kenya, especially among teenage girls.
