An infant’s body was discovered dumped in a banana plantation in one of the residents’ compound in Bondeni village, Chekalini location Lugari sub county. According to Mr. Jacob Khalisia, the body which is believed to be of a day old baby was discovered by his grandchildren who were playing in the banana plantation. He said nobody knew when the body was dumped there and who did it.
His wife Catherine Khalisia said she was informed by her grandchildren but at first she thought they were joking. “They came and told me they had seen a baby in the banana plantation, first I couldn’t believe it and thought they were just playing around,” said Mrs. Khalisia. However, she later went to check and confirmed that it was indeed an infant’s body well wrapped in a sweater and placed in her banana farm.
She said the body had blood stains indicating that after delivery the mother just wrapped it in the sweater without even washing it and dumped it there. It’s suspected that the baby either died during delivery or might have been born alive and strangled to death by the mother or maybe died due to the harsh condition that it was exposed to in the banana plantation.
The incident has been strongly condemned by residents led by the village elder Mr Fredrick Butia who has appealed to the locals to keenly observe women and girls who have been pregnant in their respective areas, and after delivery they don’t have their babies with them, adding they should avail the information which may be helpful in investigations. Police officers from Lumakanda station removed the body and took it to Webuye mortuary as they launched investigations into the incident.