Officials trace seven pregnant teens as statistics raise alarm
David Musundi
Trans Nzoia children’s coordinator Aston Maungo and security agencies have traced seven pregnant teenage schoolgirls within the county.
The boys said to be responsible for the pregnancies and the girls were arrested and remanded at Kitale Police Divisional Headquarters pending DNA and age assessments.
Maungo warned that the government would continue cracking down on parents who fail to report cases of school-going children being impregnated.
He said out of the seven boys who were arrested, two are above 18 years and have signed parental agreements to take care of their children.
The official revealed that 11,977 cases of underage girls becoming pregnant were recorded in the last 12 months.
Arraign suspects
“The happenings in Trans Nzoia county are so alarming,” he said.
In an interview with People Daily at the children’s’ office in Kitale, one of the girls, Cherop (not her real name), said she met Jackton Wafula, 18, on a Friday evening on her way from Kinyoro shopping centre, which marked the beginning of their romantic affair.
In less than two months, Cherop says, she discovered her journey to being a mother had begun. Shockingly, she said, her twin sister was impregnated by the same man.
Assistant County Commander of Police Gerald Barasa said the suspects will be arraigned after DNA results are out and urged parents to liaise with the church in guiding and counselling their children on morals.
“We will be arraigning the suspects before court after DNA results are ready. The age assessments have been done and we will be taking all of them to court.
I’m asking parents to co-operate with the church for guidance and counselling,” said the police boss.
Cases of early pregnancies sparked mixed reactions among residents and the woman leaders, who recommended tough sentences for those found culpable to curb the alarming rates of early pregnancies.
Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Janet Nangabo said: “I’m asking these greedy men who lust for school children to stop this behavior.
If you feel children in uniform are so delicious, buy uniforms for your wives, make them look so good and admirable than spoiling lives of small girls.”
She called for a raft of changes in the school curriculum to allow for sex education to be taught in schools, saying the rate of HIV/Aids prevalence among the youth is alarming.
“Parents and the church have the biggest role to play in taming early pregnancies among our school going children.
I will be tabling a motion in Parliament to have castration of those found impregnating schoolgirls made into law,’’ said the MP.
