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P.7 pupil delivers, hides baby in bush
What you need to know:
- Concern. The baby was reportedly fathered by a boy who completed Primary Seven last year.
ALEBTONG. Authorities in Amugu Sub-county, Alebtong District, are still reeling from shock after a Primary Seven pupil, who is set to sit her final exams in about a month’s time, delivered a baby and hid it in a bush for two days.
The 17-year-old pupil of Awalu Primary School in Omwonyo-gweno Village, Amugu Sub-county, reportedly gave birth to a baby girl last Friday in the bush before hiding her in the shrubs.
Mr Kennedy Ongom, the sub-county chairman, said they were shocked by the pupil’s action given that she always attended classes.
“It is true that the pupil gave birth to a baby girl last Friday. She has been hiding her pregnancy besides attending classes and it was not noticed by the school authorities,” he said.
Mr Ongom said they are now hunting for the man that fathered the child with the girl since she is below 18 years, which is the age of consent in Uganda. He said the pupil and her baby have been taken to Alebtong Hospital for medical checkup.
Hunt for father
“She has revealed to us the father of her baby girl and we are hunting for him. She said he sat his Primary Leaving Examinations from the same school last year,” Mr Ongom said
According to Mr Moses Ogwal, the pupil’s father, she gave birth without help of an attendant of midwife.
Mr Ogwal said before heading for classes in the morning, she would feed the baby on water mixed with sugar and return at break time to breastfeed it.
However, he said her luck ran out a few days later when a nine-year-old boy, who had gone to fetch water, heard the baby crying from the bush and alerted his parents.
“It was Sunday last week when a boy heard the baby crying and reported the matter to his parents, who later gathered the residents and they recovered the baby girl,” Mr Ogwal said.
Mr John Anyeko, the Awalu Primary School head teacher, confirmed that the girl is a pupil at the school.
“It is true that one of my Primary Seven candidates delivered in the bush and hid the baby. I have invited the parents and we are discussing what next we can do,” he said on Wednesday.
Mr Anyeko added that at least three girls at the school drop out every year due to pregnancy.
The District Education Officer, Mr Denis Kizza, said he has summoned the head teacher to explain how the school administration failed to detect the pregnancy.
