Four girls ‘tricked’ into birth control

Kakamega Sub-county Police Commander David Kabena. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

Police are investigating claims that a community health worker tricked four girls into getting contraceptive implants.

The girls, aged between 12 and 14, claim the volunteer health worker lured them to a health centre at Eshisiru village in Lurambi Constituency last week after promising them free sanitary pads.

“The health worker said they were giving out free sanitary pads at Musanda health centre. On arrival, I found three other girls waiting. They had also been told to go for the pads,” said one of the girls.

According to the girl, the four were given forms and asked to write the names of their parents after which they were ushered into a private room one at a time.

“When my turn came, I was told to lie on a bed. I was then given an injection but no one told me what it was for. They then inserted something in my arm,” she said.

According to the girl, the four were then taken to another room where they were informed that the injection was meant to prevent them from getting pregnant.

“They said that they decided to save us after realising that many girls were getting pregnant during Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

She said she never disclosed the ordeal to her parents until four days later when her arm started swelling and the pain became unbearable.

Her mother then took her to a health facility but was referred back to the health centre where the transplants are said to have been inserted. 

“We went back to Masanda Health Centre with two police officers and the nurses were ordered to remove the implants from the girls,” said the girl’s father.

However, the health worker denied luring the girls to the health facility, saying she was approached by their parents on the best contraceptive for their girls.

Kakamega Sub-county Police Commander David Kabena said the health worker told police that the girls’ parents requested for help to get a contraceptive for their daughters.