A 21-year-old woman is facing criminal charges for dumping her three-week-old baby into a pit latrine in Baringo.
Elizabeth Lemojong appeared before resident magistrate Nerolin Idagwa at the Kabarnet law court but did not take a plea.
The magistrate ordered her to undergo a mental assessment before taking a plea.
“She should first be taken through mental examination. Maybe the accused could be suffering from post-natal depression,” Idagwa said.
Lemojong allegedly committed the heinous act at Logumgum village in Marigat, Baringo South sub-county on September 18 at around 9 pm.
Area chief Zephaniah Lekachuma said the woman borrowed the keys to the toilet from her landlord before dumping the baby, her second-born, into the latrine.
“Neighbours who heard the child’s cries rescued and rushed him to Marigat sub-county hospital. The baby survived,” said the administrator.
The infant is currently at a children’s home in Kabarnet town while the mother is in police custody pending the determination.
Magistrate Nerolin Idagwa preferred the accused be examined by a psychiatrist at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) pending the mention on September 26.
