A 16 year old secondary school girl in Mumias district has been detained in hospital for failing to settle the hospital bill. The form two student from Eluche Secondary School has been held at St Mary's Hospital since November last year. The hospital bill has accumulated to Sh139,000. The girl, identified as Lilian, was admitted at the hospitals' maternity wing on 21st November 2011.

The hike in the hospital bill has been due to the incubation of her twins for two months. They were born prematurely. Her parents have deserted her. According to Luhya customs delivering twins in the first pregnancy is a bad omen. Efforts by the provincial administration to have the man responsible for her pregnancy foot the hospital bill failed when they realized that the boy is a form four candidate in one of the schools in the slums of Mumias town. She has appealed to well wishers to assist in settling the bill. The hospital's management has maintained they will not release the girl and her two children until the bill is settled.