Mother abandons baby at university hostel

HUYE – There was confusion at the National University of Rwanda’s male hostel on Tuesday, after a woman abandoned a four month-old baby girl at one of the rooms, claiming the child’s father had neglected both of them.Christine Uwamabajimana, the baby’s mother, accused a student only identified as Bosco of neglecting his parental responsibility. “I was impregnated by this student while he lived near my home last year. I informed him about the pregnancy and he promised to support me after delivery. However he has never kept his promise to date,” the middle aged woman said. “He rejected me with my child and denied responsibility.” The father to the baby, Uwamabajimana added, relocated without notifying her. “I went on trying to find out his whereabouts until I discovered where he lived. Since I was rejected by my family, I do not have a place to call home, this prompted me to leave the baby outside her father’s room,” she said.However, the third-year linguistics student vehemently denies fathering the child. “The child is not mine. She (mother) may be relying on the fact that we knew each other and she frequently visited the hostels where I was residing last year,” he said. Vincent Muzungu, an official of the University’s students’ union said he had tried to mediate in the matter in vain.“I knew about that issue. The lady had come to my office with a photo of the boy said to have impregnated her. I called the boy and met both of them but they failed to reach an agreement,” said Muzungu. Ends