• A list of shame for perennial sex offenders to be released.
• The team will schedule visits in every subcounty to meet with expectant teens and their parents.
Image: /ALICE WAITHERA
A team has been established in Murang’a county to fight surging cases of teenage pregnancies.
County commissioner Mohamed Barre on Monday announced that Murang’a County Multi-agency committee will ensure cases of underage pregnancy will be aptly followed and culprits punished in accordance with the law.
It will have a presence in every administrative unit, starting from the sublocation level.
“In the sublocation, the team will be led by the assistant chief while in the county, I will be the chairman,” Barre said.
It will incorporate all stakeholders, including officers from the departments of public health and children's services, clergy, county government, national policy, Judiciary officers passionate about sexual offences and NGOs that deal with such matters.
Barre said teenage pregnancy is an issue of national concern and requires the co-operation of all stakeholders to manage it.
The committee will have its first meeting on Thursday in Ithanga, Gatanga, which has the highest number of cases in the county.
Barre was however quick to note that the number of expectant teenagers in the county is not as high and only 133 cases have been confirmed.
“We want to address rumours that Murang’a county has over 3,000 expectant teens. Our teams are on the ground and have proven these claims to be untrue,” he said.
Barre said 90 per cent of the affected teens became pregnant before the Covid-19 outbreak.
The administrator criticised Ahadi Kenya CEO Stanley Kamau, who recently met over 20 expectant girls in Kandara constituency and provided them with foodstuffs and clothing.
He said most of the girls were over 18 years old and therefore adults but underscored the need to support them.
“We traced the girls and one of them is 21 years old. What is the intention of someone giving misleading figures?” he asked, adding that though the cases may be higher than the ones confirmed, they are not as high as some quarters claim.
All cases that have been reported are either still being investigated or in court, he said.
On Saturday, Kamau asked the government to establish baby care centres to help expectant teenagers continue with their studies.
Kamau who spoke as he met over 20 expectant girls from Kandara subcounty said the girls needed to be accommodated and encouraged.
“If we allow these children to drop out of school because of their pregnancies, we will have a bigger problem in the future,” he said.
Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege said a list of shame for perennial sex offenders will be put out, so they can be tracked.
“We want their history to appear even when applying for good conduct, just as it happens when people default on loans so that they can be identified,” she said.
Chege said the committee is also seeking partners to establish a rescue centre for expectant girls forced into early marriages.
The girls will also be registered on NHIF Linda Mama programme to help them access pre- and ante-natal care.
“We are also engaging FIDA-Kenya to assist those with cases in court without legal representation so that they can get justice,” she said.
Chege, however, expressed concerns that many expectant girls live with their grandmothers and emphasized the need for parents to be close to their children.
Women said to be aiding abortion in the villages will also be sought and legal action taken against them, she said.
Edited by A.N