Kenya has reported a sudden surge in teen pregnancies in one single county over a period of five months thus threatening to cut short the pursuit for education among school-going girls.
Machakos county, located in the north eastern province in Kenya is leading several other counties in terms of teenage pregnancies in Kenya according to Kenya Health Information System survey.
The data shows that a total of 3,964 girls aged 19 years and below were reported pregnant within that period.
Machakos County Children Officer Salome Muthama said the reported pregnancy cases among school girls are a much less than the actual numbers.
During this coronavirus pandemic we do have 4000 impregnated girls. These are so many innocent girls,” she said.
She further reiterated that most of the cases were as a result of defilement by close family members
She said that around 200 of these young ladies are matured 14 years and beneath.
“By what method can a multi year old young lady become a mother?” she presented.
“All the individuals who have impregnated these youngsters needs be summoned however it is turning into a test. We need exceptional court sittings to address and manage these cases,” Salome advanced.
She further accused both the guardians and the inadequate equity framework for the overarching emergency.
“A large portion of these cases you will discover include youngsters who were taken from urban focuses in the wake of Covid-19 and left in the possession of their grandmas in the wide open as the guardians came back to the towns.
Source- African News
