Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has been struck by grief after encountering a devastating sight: two lifeless, fully formed infants discarded on a roadside.
The haunting scene, shared in a heartfelt post on X on Friday, July 4, 2025, left her questioning whether this was the result of a miscarriage or an unsafe abortion.
“The sight of two lifeless, fully formed little bodies discarded on the roadside broke something in me,” Passaris wrote. “Whether it was a miscarriage or a desperate, unsafe abortion we may never know. But what we do know is that somewhere, a woman may be bleeding, physically and emotionally, in silence and danger.”
While the cause remains unclear, the tragedy points to a deeper issue: a woman is likely suffering alone, burdened by pain and stigma. Unwanted pregnancies, driven by poverty and fear, are a harsh reality in Kenya.
Health, dignity, not despair
When access to safe reproductive health services is restricted or criminalised, women are pushed into desperate situations. The result is heartbreaking, unsafe abortions, abandoned infants, and silent suffering.
Passaris’ post highlights the need for urgent change.
“The little souls deserved love, not abandonment. And the woman behind this act deserved options, not desperation,” she said.
Kenya’s reproductive health system faces significant challenges: limited access to contraception, inadequate sexual education, and strict laws create a cycle of vulnerability, particularly for marginalised women. These tragedies, on roadsides and in dumpsites, are a stain on society’s conscience.
This is a call to action. Kenya must invest in comprehensive sex education, affordable contraception, and safe, legal reproductive health services. Community health programmes should reach the most vulnerable, offering care without judgment.
Criminalising abortion doesn’t eliminate it; it only increases the risks, forcing women toward dangerous alternatives.
“We must build systems that offer dignity, choices, and care before it’s too late,” Passaris urged.
This tragedy demands compassion, not condemnation. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities must work together to ensure no woman faces such desperation alone. The memory of those infants should drive Kenya to create a future where women have choices and support, preventing such heartbreak.
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
