Kakamega county records big drop in teenage pregnancies

Kakamega County could be moving away from the unenviable position of recording the highest number of teen pregnancies after latest reports indicated that cases of pregnancies among school-going teenagers have dropped.

A report by the Department of Health in the county said teenage pregnancies have been reduced from 14,000 in 2023 to 9,000 in 2024 courtesy of an ongoing program launched in the county.

Young mothers who have been victims of teenage pregnancies spoke during a session to reflect on progress of an awareness program launched in the county to curb teen pregnancy reflected on improved times.

Charity Amukabi (not her real name) aged 17, is a Form Four student in Solio Secondary School in Shinyalu Constituency, became pregnant while in Form Two.

Amukabi said she fell into the trap of a bullfighting man who seduced her with an offer of sanitary pads which she could not afford.

She could not proceed to secondary school because she was breastfeeding, and the baby needed proper care and attention.

"I can attribute my pregnancy to poverty, I used to skip classes due to lack of sanitary towels and a bullfighting owner convinced me. I had to stay at home and take care of my baby," said Amukabi. She was speaking during a mentorship programme at Approved School in Kakamega dubbed 'Teen Mothers Scholarship' under the Patron of Janet Kasilly Barasa an educationist.

Amukabi was introduced to the programme two years ago where she got financial help to continue with her studies.

Kasilly has been running a special education programme targeting teenage mothers willing to return to school.

"I had started doing millennial jobs but when I was introduced to the programme I was given mentorship on reproductive health and alongside scholarship I am back to school and I hope to score a B plain, excel in my life to take care of my child," said Amukabi.

Prof Kassilly speaking during the session said the first batch of 60 teenage mothers was selected last year from 60 wards in 12 Sub-Counties across the county to act as champions in raising awareness and deterring others from getting pregnant stating the programme has helped reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. 

"Since we came to the office the number of teenage pregnancies has been so alarming and we started the program to help our girls go back to school and put to an end more teenage pregnancies through advocacy and mentorship programme and this has helped in the reduction of numbers from 14,000 in 2023 to 9,000 in 2024 and the teen mothers have been the face of the advocacy," said Kasilly.

She noted that this success is due to plans to involve boys and girls in menstrual health issues.

"Mentorship advocacy, men involvement, and involving the girls and boys in menstrual health issues has helped reduce the cases," She noted.

So far, The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Boresha Afya, Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), KMET and ICS are among the sponsors of the initiative.

Peter Oduk the Executive Director at Kenya Alliance for Rural Empowerment (KARE) offering mentorship training, mental and reproductive health to rural schools across Kakamega county said lack of sanitary pads has largely contributed to teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, and cases of dropout in schools among school going girls.

"We are giving our girls mentorship on reproductive and mental health and also sanitary pads to keep them in school and have quality education and prosper in life," said Oduk.

"Monthly period is impacting negatively on our school girls, most of them skip learning because they cannot afford sanitary pads and they become susceptible to men who prey on them by offering sanitary towels and other necessities which parents cannot offer and this led to teenage pregnancies and drop out cases among our young girls."

The latest data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) shows that national vulnerability for the girl-child stands at 14.9 percent.

The KDHS data shows that Western Kenya has alarming rates above the national average, with Bungoma County recording 18.6 percent girl child vulnerability followed by Busia at 18.3 percent, Trans Nzoia at 17.8 percent, Kakamega at 15.1 percent and Vihiga County at 7.7 percent. 

Nairobi County also recorded a significant percentage at 8.4 percent.