Sad!! Early marriage robs teens’ future

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Who will save our girls future by preventing early marriages and teen pregnancies?

Some of  Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)candidates in Narok county will not sit for their theory examinations which kicks off today due to early pregnancies and marriages.

County Commissioner George Natembeya has termed the trend as catastrophic and ordered quality assurance and standards officers in the region to investigate the cases of pregnancies among school girls.

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“How can over 60 girls drop out of school due to pregnancies, others married off before they sit for their examinations. This is like an epidemic!” Said Mr Natembeya.

“Chiefs should be at the forefront of identifying the culprits and reporting them to the police. Those who collaborate with criminals will lose their jobs,” he warned.

“If this is an all-year-round phenomenon, we are in an awkward position,” she said.

According to Kenya’s Demographic Health Survey, Narok is leading in teenage pregnancies in the country at 46 per cent.

Statistics from the county commissioner’s office indicate that in the last 6 months, 233 school girls from eight secondary and primary schools in the county, aged between 10 and 19 years have been impregnated and forced to discontinue with their learning.

According to a report tabled by Mr Natembeya, Trans Mara West Sub-County is leading with 157 pregnancies followed by Narok East with 30 pregnancy cases reported to the police and respective authorities.

Narok South had 18 cases, Narok North and South 15 each, and Trans Mara East 13 cases.

The county boss said early pregnancies have become a burden to the country but, through joint efforts with security officers, 54 people linked to the cases have been arrested and are facing charges in court.

Parents  are also urged to instill good discipline in their children through guidance and counseling to ensure such incidents are prevented.

Since it is the responsibility of parents to talk to their children and ensure that they do not engage in sexual relations at a tender age.

A United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report on adolescent and teenage pregnancies in Kenya shows 378,397 girls aged 10 to 19 got pregnant between July 2016 and June this year. Some 28,932 girls aged 10-14 got pregnant, same as 349,465 in age 15-19.

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