This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Siaya County is grappling with a teenage pregnancies pandemic, with alarming numbers of girls falling pregnant between January and May this year.
According to County Commissioner Michael ole Tialal, the situation is so dire that it rivals the COVID-19 pandemic in severity.
Analysis of data from public hospitals revealed that 310 girls aged 10-14 and 3,286 girls aged 15-19 conceived within the five-month period.
On average, 62 girls aged 10-14 got pregnant every day, a statistic that Tialal described as 'embarrassing'.
He also revealed that the perpetrators of these pregnancies were men aged 25-65 years.
Tialal lamented that some parents were perpetuating the vice by allowing the cases to be handled through Kangaroo courts to protect their 'family name', while others knowingly allowed their children to engage in premature sex.
He cited two disturbing cases, including one where a mother took her 12-year-old daughter to live with a man, and another where three sisters aged 10-15 were left alone with a boy who went on to have an orgy with them.
The boy's mother was aware of the situation and would often take food to the children and lock them in the house during the day.
Tialal assured that the parents behind these evil acts have been arrested, along with their children, and will face the law.
He called on church leaders, politicians, and civil society organizations to join the war against teenage pregnancies in the county and instructed the police and national government administrative officers to ensure that those behind such acts are dealt with accordingly.
Published on August 6, 2020, by Reactor Review.
