This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued a stern warning to area chiefs and perpetrators of teenage pregnancies, stating that there will be 'hell to pay' for those responsible.
Speaking on the issue, the President emphasized that area chiefs will be held accountable for the defilement of school-going children under their watch, and will have to answer for their inaction.
According to the President, people must be disciplined and not allowed to go around impregnating young girls without consequence.
His comments come as a survey by the Kenya Health Information System revealed that over 4,000 girls aged 19 years and below were reported pregnant in Machakos County between January and May.
Similar trends were observed in other parts of the country, with Nakuru, Kajiado, Garissa, and Kericho recording 1,748, 1,523, 901, and 1,006 cases of teenage pregnancies respectively.
A report by the National Council on Population and Development (NCPD) showed that two out of five teenagers in Kenya are either young mothers or pregnant.
Since the pandemic was reported in the country in early March, 20,828 girls aged between 10 and 14 years have become mothers, while 24,106 girls aged between 15-19 years are either pregnant or mothers already.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha had previously called for a ban on pornographic sites, attributing the high rate of teenage pregnancies to their influence.
