This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
On June 19, 2020, former NTV Swahili news anchor Doreen Majala took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the rising cases of teenage pregnancies in Kenya.
According to Majala, the situation can be attributed to a lack of mentorship among young girls. She emphasized the need for community sensitization, comprehensive sexuality education, and increased enrollment of girls in schools.
"My two cents on increased cases of Teenage Pregnancies: In as much as we point out Sociocultural, Economic and Environmental factors, our girls lack mentorship. We need community sensitization, comprehensive sexuality education and more enrollment of girls in schools," she tweeted.
She further noted that young girls face numerous challenges, including curiosity, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and the inability to resist sexual temptations, all of which can be exacerbated by cell phone usage.
Recent statistics have highlighted the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies in Kenya, with a report showing that between March and May 2020, 4,000 teenage girls in Machakos alone became pregnant.
It is worth noting that the Sexual Offences Act provides severe penalties for those who engage in sexual activities with minors, with a punishment of life imprisonment for defiling a child below the age of 12 and 15 years or more for those between 13 and 18 years.
