Leaders call for joint campaign against Homa Bay teenage pregnancy

Leaders from Homa Bay County have expressed concern over the rising cases of teenage pregnancy in the county.

Led by Opposition leader Raila Odinga's wife Mama Ida, the leaders asked the national and county governments to use all resources at their disposal to stop teenage pregnancy which they claimed had led to massive school dropouts among girls.

 Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga, Kabondo Kasipul MP Eve Obara and her Kibra counterpart Imran Okoth said the rising dropouts may wipe out all the gains made in girlchild education in the county.

Homa Bay is the second leading in teenage pregnancies after Narok County.

Speaking at Ober Secondary School during Kabondo Kasipul education day, Mrs Odinga said teenage pregnancy impedes girl child education.

 "Let all leaders and education stakeholders co-operate in putting measures in place to curb teenage pregnancies," said Odinga.

 She advised young girls to shun anybody who intends to engage them in premature sex, a situation she said will ruin their future.

"Let every student focus on her studies to enable them to participate in nation-building in future. A girl who is focused in her studies cannot have time for premature relationships which ruin their future lives," Ida said.

 Mrs Obara urged parents to take the education of their children seriously to enable her constituency to have productive people in future.

 She said her office was committed to providing full scholarships to secondary school needy students who scored 350 marks and above in KCPE exams. At least 68 students are currently benefiting from the programme.

 "The only thing that can make a child of a poor person and that of a rich person share a platform is education. That is why we are providing bursaries to over 8,000 students to enable children of this constituency to acquire education" said Dr Obara's.

 Wanga told female students to shun anybody who wants to ruin their future.

 She said Homa Bay County had four female MPs who should be emulated by school girls as their role models.

 "Our county has four women MPs. This should make our girls aware that everybody can become successful in life regardless of their gender," said Wanga.

 She told students in the area to understand that hard work pays.

The legislator promised to support teachers in ensuring their welfare is well catered for.

"No non-local teacher should be deployed in North Eastern Region if their security is not guaranteed," Wanga said.

Okoth, Homa Bay Majority Leader Walter Muok and Kakelo Kokwanyo MCA Dan Were urged students from financially challenged families to understand that they can alleviate their families from poverty in future if they work hard in their studies.