- Residents have raised concern over child neglect following the discovery of an infant in Nyaguta Location.
- Police rescued the baby and took him to Keumbu Sub-County Hospital for care and assessment.
- Authorities are now seeking information that could help trace the child’s parents or next of kin.
Residents of Kisii County have raised concern over the neglect of children in different parts of the region. They are calling on relevant authorities to take immediate action to protect affected children.
The latest incident was reported on Wednesday in Nyaguta Location, Nyaribari Chache Constituency, where residents found an eight-month-old baby boy abandoned by the roadside. The identity of the person who left the child there remains unknown.
The baby was lively and bouncing, though he appeared to be shivering slightly from the morning cold. A Good Samaritan who discovered him alerted police officers at Keumbu Police Station. The officers rushed to the scene and rescued the child.
The baby was taken to Keumbu Sub-County Hospital, where he is currently receiving food, warmth and medical care. Efforts to trace his next of kin are ongoing.
Hospital officials said the child is in good condition and responding well to care.
“He is a jovial baby and feeds well. Definitely he will survive,” said a nurse at Keumbu Hospital who requested anonymity due to official procedures.
Police seek information
Police have appealed to members of the public who may have information to help reunite the child with his parents. Anyone with useful details has been asked to report to Keumbu Hospital, Keumbu Police Station or a nearby government office, such as the chief’s office.
Most residents who spoke to Education News linked cases of child abandonment to teenage motherhood. They noted that many young mothers are struggling to cope with the high cost of living. As a result, some are choosing to abandon their children in the hope of living free from the responsibilities of hurried and misguided motherhood.
Legal protection for children
In Kenya, children are protected against abandonment and neglect under the Children Act, 2022.
The Act places responsibility on parents to provide children with basic nutrition, shelter, clothing, medical care and education, and to protect them from neglect and abuse.
It also provides that the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
The Department of Children Services in Kisii County, working with police and local administration, is mandated to protect children in need of care and facilitate appropriate interventions.
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Authorities have urged parents and guardians facing economic challenges to seek assistance from government programmes, chiefs and children’s offices instead of abandoning children.
By Enock Okong’o
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