In a heart-stopping incident that has shocked Kirinyaga County, a newborn baby girl was pulled alive from a 15-foot pit latrine in Kagio town, surviving hours in the filth after being discarded by her own mother.

The cries of the infant, echoing from the depths of the latrine, alerted a neighbor who had gone to use the facility. What followed was a frantic rescue mission by residents and police, who dismantled the structure to reach the "miracle baby."The incident has ignited a fierce debate on the desperation gripping Kenyan households.

"The Cost of Living Made Me Do It"

Police arrested 21-year-old Jecinta Wangeci, who, after initial denials, confessed to the act. Her defense was a chilling indictment of the economic times: "I have no money to feed myself, let alone a child." It is a refrain becoming all too common in a country where the social safety net has disintegrated.

• The Rescue: Gilbert Mwathi, the landlord's son, described the scene as "unimaginable." "We used ropes and hooks, praying we wouldn't injure her. When she came out crying, the whole village cheered," he recounted. The baby is currently in stable condition at a local hospital.
• The Legal & Moral Dilemma: Wangeci faces charges of attempted infanticide. But community leaders are divided. While condemning the act, many point to the systemic failure that leaves young, unemployed mothers with zero support options.

A Society on the Brink

This is not an isolated tragedy; it is a trend. Across Central Kenya, cases of child abandonment are rising in tandem with the cost of unga. Wangeci’s actions were criminal, but they were birthed in a cauldron of hopelessness.

As the baby girl recovers, nicknamed "Angel" by the nurses, she serves as a symbol of resilience. But her survival asks a haunting question: in a nation that eats its young, who will save the next one?