Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua on Wednesday, June 17, made a promise to residents after an alarming rise in the number of teenage pregnancies in the county caused a stir.
News of the county registering close to 4,000 teenage pregnancies spread like wildfire following the release of a survey by Kenya Health Information System.
"I am shocked by the figures of teenage pregnancies reported. Even though the figures are less because the number of 4,000 represents multiple visits of pregnant girls to hospitals, even a single teenage pregnancy is UNACCEPTABLE.
"This is a national problem. During my teenage days, we attended sexual education classes in church and at school that taught us to avoid promiscuity and protect ourselves from other vices and diseases. We all need to address this problem, Corona or no Corona," stated Mutua.
The Governor insisted on the protection of the innocence of children with efforts from both the society and family units.
Mutua promised to ensure all pregnant girls would be encouraged and enabled to attend classes when schools reopen after the pandemic is controlled.
The former Government Spokesperson highlighted the unfair imbalance in the issue with boys being allowed to continue with their education.
"You cannot have girls excluded from education while the boys who made them pregnant are in class improving their chances of success in life. Girls, pregnant or otherwise, should never be stopped from attending school anywhere in Kenya. It is their human right," he noted.
Mutua went on to post statistics of teenage pregnancies within the 47 counties in the country and termed the issue as a national problem.
With the teenage pregnancies being as a result of girls getting intimate with their boyfriends and men who defile them, Mutua called for action to be taken to those responsible to be brought to book.
According to the statistics more than 28 girls on average became pregnant daily in Machakos in the last five months.
The surge in the number of teenage pregnancies has largely been attributed to the closure of schools.
Other counties reported to have a high number of teenage pregnancies include Kakamega, Nairobi, Kilifi and West Pokot.
