This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
Uasin Gishu County, a region in western Kenya, has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the country. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2017, one in four girls between the ages of 15 and 19 has already carried a pregnancy, a rate higher than the national average of 18 per cent.
For 17-year-old Rachel, who is currently writing her KCSE exams at a school in Maili Nne, Eldoret, the issue is personal. She is five months pregnant and is hoping to do well in her exams to secure a bright future for herself and her baby. Rachel's father, who is 65 years old, has agreed to support her and the baby, but only if she continues with her education.
“When we realised the girl was pregnant, I discussed with her school’s head teacher and we agreed that she should continue with her education,” Rachel's father says.
Advocacy groups, including the Centre for Reproductive Rights, are calling for sex education to be introduced in schools to address the issue of teenage pregnancies. A new report by the Centre notes that one in five adolescents in Kenya has an unmet need for family planning, and that early childbearing is primarily a socio-economic issue that poses unique risks to adolescents.
John Anampiu, the North Rift Regional Coordinator for the National Council for Population and Development, says that teenage pregnancy is a major issue in the North Rift counties. “There is a weak healthcare system and low-social economic development among women, which leaves them vulnerable,” he says.
Mark Wanjohi, an advocacy officer with DSW Kenya, agrees that sex education is critical. “We have engaged county governments of Uasin Gishu and Nandi to implement policies focusing on youth sexual and reproductive health services,” he says.
However, Wanjohi notes that talking about sexual reproductive health is often misconstrued to mean depopulation, especially among the political class. “The fact that family planning is about spacing children to allow them to grow healthy seems to be misunderstood by most,” he says.
