In a rather heartbreaking story, residents of Maralal town in Samburu County woke up on Friday morning to a rude shock after a baby foetus was discovered along Maralal-Baragoi road .
The residents of Samburu central sub county led by nyumba kumi chairperson Solomon Wanyeki said the body that had been badly mutilated was been pulled by a dog along the road.
The head had been separated from its body as it was carried by the dog, it seems somebody aborted and dumped the foetus, though I am not a doctor but that foetus was about seven to six months old nearing birth.
Police officers transported the body to Samburu county referral hospital mortuary.
However, residents have been urged to stop from engaging in unprotected s3x if they are not ready to take up parental responsibilities in future.
A resident argued that people should abstain from unsafe s3x.
It is not right to abort after being pregnant for all those months, it is a curse. If you are not ready for parental responsibilities adopt family planning or just abstain from s2x.
However, incidents like this one have been reported at Allamano, Baraka, and Ngari areas in Samburu central sub county in the recent past.
In beading culture like Samburus, a Moran buys a girl he fancies from his clan, basically a family member, and beads and places them on her neck. This acts as a sign of ‘engagement’.
He is allowed to have sex with her. However, he cannot marry her, and they must not have a child.
“Huyo mtoto atakuwa haramu (the child will be an outcast) says Mr Mundi Olengusuranga, a Samburu elder. He adds, “This is an age old tradition, where a Moran gives a friend, a girl from his clan the beads. As friends they can sleep together.”
Another elder, Lekaritiwa Leiyaris insists that the culture is dying off.After beading, the girl is built a Singira, hut, by her mother where the Moran will have unrestricted access for sex. Resian has not yet built her daughter the Singira, but the youngsters are free to use the family’s hut. She tells us.
When the girl gets pregnant, her mother and fellow clan women conduct crude abortions.
According to Mr John Letiwa, Maralal District Hospital Deputy Nursing Officer, who has worked with the community, an uncircumcised girl is not allowed to give birth. If she does, the child is an outcast.
“A few weeks ago, I attended to a sick girl, who gave me false health history. In my examination, I discovered remains of a placenta inside of her.”