A one-month-old baby has been rescued from family members who wanted to kill him after it emerged he was conceived in an incest relationship at Mavaka village, Chevaywa location in Matete, Kakamega County.
According to the 15-year-old mother, who is also a standard seven pupil at Chepsai primary school, she was lured into a relationship with her cousin, who impregnated her and she delivered a bouncing baby boy on 28th August 2017.
However, she said the joy that normally comes with having a baby wasn’t present when she got back home from the hospital, as all family members except her parents shunned the baby.
“I was thinking of selling this baby because everybody is avoiding and abusing me just because of him,” explained the 15-year-old mother.
The baby’s grandfather Mr. Francis Khaemba said his daughter tried to hide the pregnancy from them and they only realized it when she was about to deliver, saying it wasn’t easy for her to reveal who was the baby’s father.
After questioning her persistently, she gave the shocking revelation that her cousin was responsible, “It’s shocking that my real sister’s son is responsible for this,” said Khaemba.
He said for the past one month and two weeks, his daughter has been taking care of the baby but over the weekend elders convened a meeting that brought together all family members, where they unanimously agreed the baby shouldn’t be part of the family, “They threatened to strangle him to death,” said Khaemba.
His sentiments were echoed by his wife Florence Khaemba, who said the family wanted her to abandon the child in the hospital or in a matatu immediately after birth.
“When I took my daughter to the hospital to deliver, they advised me to leave the baby in the hospital but I refused. Then as we were coming back home they told me to leave him in the matatu but I also declined,” explained the grandmother.
The two grandparents said they couldn’t stand to see their grandson strangled to death and so they chose to seek advice from the area volunteer children officer Mr. Jackson Murunga.
“As saved Christians, we understand what the Bible says about killing someone and we can’t allow it to happen. More so, this baby is innocent and shouldn’t shoulder the blame,” they said, adding that their nephew who was responsible for their daughter’s pregnancy vanished once she delivered.
Matete children’s officer Mr. Jackson Murunga took the baby and promised to ensure he is taken good care of.
He also promised to ensure the young mother was taken through guiding and counseling to help her cope with the situation and if possible go back to school and realize her dreams. “If she isn’t counselled, the girl may be traumatized for the rest of her life, so I will ensure she gets good counselling,” said Murunga.