A recent revelation by the government that Kenya ranks third worldwide in teenage pregnancies has caused an uproar from both state and non-state actors who are now calling for immediate action.
According to recent data released by the Ministry of Health, one in five adolescents aged 15–19 are already mothers or pregnant with their first child.
Rights organisations and gender activists are now calling for a robust strategy to tame this menace, which spells doom for girls if not tamed.
Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation (Mywo) chairperson Rahab Muiu, in an interview with local media, has condemned the crisis and called for immediate interventions.
“It is morally wrong to be talking about a 10-year-old being a mother. We need to go back to our moral values to avoid such things happening to our girls,” she said.
She challenged parents and grandparents to rise up to the occasion and talk to their children and grandchildren on the importance of moral values.
“Uncles, aunties and the church also need to do what they are supposed to do, talking to these young girls and mentoring them. The church should also guide the young parents to inculcate in them proper parenting values, which is lacking in some.”