MEDICS RESCUE BABY DUMPED IN PIT LATRINE IN ARUA CITY

The pit from which the baby was removed from by residents. All photos by Godwin Abedican.

By Godwin Abedican
 
Arua
 
Medics at Arua regional referral maternity ward have successfully saved the life of a new born baby girl that was rescued from a pit latrine by the community of Upper Bibia in Arua city after the mother only identified as Shifa allegedly dumbed her in a pit latrine at around 10pm on Thursday February 20, 2025. 
 
According to Ciriga Majid, a resident of the area (Bibia Madi quarters) an eyewitness who discovered the incident, when he went to ease himself at night he heard a baby crying in the toilet and later informed residents around who quickly mobilized to remove the baby from the pit and cleaned before rushing her to the hospital.
 
“The lady who did this is a normal mother who is living in a rented house. She sells chapati by the road side here. What I found out was that the father of the baby was not responsible, so the mother decided to do that” he said.
 
In executing her mission Shifa sent away the girl who stays with her to purportedly buy her drugs and immediately the lady left she picked the baby that she had delivered on her own at around 7 pm in a pool of blood kept in a basin and quickly rushed to pour it in the latrine as she kept on monitoring the presence of her neighbors.

A well-wisher carrying the baby at Arua regional Referral Hospital after
being treated.

According to available sources, Shifa conceived while living with an aunt in Hoima and after having lost trace of the father of the child with no any single help decided to keep the pregnancy until she delivered yesterday.
 
Ivan Shukuru chairperson lc1 upper Bibia says it’s so disturbing that a mother decides to do such a thing regardless of what challenges she could be facing.
 
“I got the information at around 11pm. That lady is not a kid. She is a lady who has ever delivered. That lady is someone whom we know we never expected her to do such a thing. I entrusted the people to first save the life of the baby and after that we are heading into other issues to do with the law. What irritated us most is that the kid was delivered well then, the lady decided to pour the child with blood in the latrine. It was a murder. You have another kid that is living well how and why should someone do this?” he questioned the action.

Ivan Shukuru the Area LC1 inspecting the pit in which the baby was dumped.

By press time the baby was steady and recovering after receiving treatment at Arua regional referral hospital. The mother apologized and asked to be forgiven and accepted to take care of the baby under the close watch of the area LC1 chairperson.
 
The last time such a thing happened in the area was three years ago.
 

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