This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On June 29, 2019, Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa made headlines with her proposal to arrest and jail pregnant teenagers, including their unborn children, to address the issue of teenage pregnancy.
Speaking during the annual Malindi education day celebrations at Barani Secondary School, Jumwa emphasized the need for equal punishment for both teenage boys and girls who engage in unlawful sexual behaviors.
According to Jumwa, both boys and girls should be arrested if the authorities are serious about ending teenage pregnancy. She argued that the current system discriminates against boys, who are often left to face the consequences alone.
‘Whoever is taken to court in cases of teenage pregnancy is a boy the law cuts all ends all girls and boys should be arrested if we need to solve the problem,’ she said.
Jumwa also questioned why girls often claim to have been cheated by boys when they get pregnant, yet both parties are involved in the act. She urged the area OCPD to always ask for the girl who was pregnant if a boy is arrested over teenage pregnancy.
However, Jumwa noted that the only exception is when a boy engages in defilement, in which case he can be prosecuted alone.
During the meeting, Jumwa also proposed an amendment to the National Government Constituency Development Funds act to allow payment of full scholarship for bright needy students from poor families.
