17-year-old girl hospitalized after attempting abortion, medic arrested

A 17-year old girl is fighting for her life in a hospital in Meru after an attempt to procure an abortion failed.

Following the incidence police from Muthara Police station had arrested a private medical practitioner who was later released by the court.

Tigania East Police boss Samuel Koskei said the form-three student was rushed to Muthara Sub County Hospital where she is still hospitalized.

Koskei said the matter was reported to police by Buuri area Chief John Mamira who said the girl was caught while seeking for assistance from a medic in his clinic at Lailuba trading centre.

However, police said after interrogation it was revealed that the girl had earlier attempted an abortion elsewhere and when it failed she sought for help from the medic who had not attended to her when police pounced on them.

"Our investigations reveal that the girl attempted to procure an abortion on November 30, last year but it failed and she had complications. She had been concealing it and afterward when it got worse she sought for medical assistant from the clinic," Koskei said.

As the girl was rushed to hospital where the dead foetus was removed, the medic Dr Imana Laibuta alias Mkule was taken to Tigania law court.

However, police could not charge him with helping the student to procure an abortion since it was evident that the girl had attempted it months ago before she visited his clinic.

Laibuta was however charged with operating a health facility without a licence from the medical practitioners.

He was released yesterday on Sh20,000 cash bail after he denied the charge before Tigania Resident magistrate Paul Wechuli.

Meanwhile, police are still conducting investigations with an aim to arrest people who could have helped the school-going girl procure the abortion.