Deputy President William Ruto, on Friday, had some hard-hitting advice for men regarding the cases of teenage pregnancies reported in different parts of the country.
Speaking during an empowerment programme for Sirisia youth boda boda group, Lwandanyi, Sirisia in Bungoma County, the DP noted with concern how older men were luring school going children into sexual intercourse and impregnating them.
"And a huge threat to our children is the issue of having sexual intercourse at an early age and ending up pregnant without completing their basic education. Older men prey on the children," he began.
"Kama wewe ni mwanamume kamili, wanawake ni wengi, achana na watoto! (If you are man enough, there are enough women out there, leave children alone!)
He added, "The women are saying they are here so go and make your case to them."
While opening twin laboratories at Chwele Girls and Mary Jennifer Yoo Adventist Secondary schools in Bungoma County, DP Ruto advocated for an education system that would maximise the potential of the children, secure their future and responsive to the needs of the industry.
"We are taking stern action on sex offenders preying on our girls; impeding their education and disrupting their lives. Outdated cultural practices - FGM, child marriage, child labour - have no place in modern society and must be eliminated to give girls equal opportunity to learn," he stated.
Earlier on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha proposed for the age of sexual consent to be raised to 21 years.
Opposing the proposal to reduce the age of consent to 16, he stated, "You will have the rest of your life to have sex, why do you want to be thinking about sex at 16 years?"
“As Africans, we must stop using other people’s standards as our standards. My opinion is that the age should be increased to 21,” he told the Senate Committee on Education on Thursday.
Here is the video of DP William Ruto speaking on Friday:
