This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya made a powerful statement that every adult in Kenya needs to ask themselves: 'Where were you when they got pregnant?'
His question is a stark reminder that we are all complicit in the crisis of teenage pregnancies, which has seen nearly 4,000 girls in Machakos impregnated in the past five months.
Instead of taking responsibility, some officials have resorted to denial and finger-pointing. The Ministry of Health has dismissed the numbers as 'exaggerated, outrageous and not a true reflection of the actual statistics', without offering any concrete solutions.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has blamed the surge in teenage pregnancies on 'exposure to adult content', while Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua has pointed to 'vulgar vernacular music' as the culprit.
However, the truth is that we are all guilty of victimizing girls. We need to stop blaming the girls' 'loose morals' and take responsibility for our actions.
It's time for each of us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves what role we can play at an individual level to address the rape culture and gaps in sexual health education.
Only then can we start to win the fight against teenage pregnancies and ensure that our girls are safe and empowered.
Ms Oneya comments on social and gender topics; @FaithOneya
