Equity boss James Mwangi says the rate of early pregnancies in Kenya is worrying.
Mwangi said the country was losing many girls to early pregnancies and called on parents and guardians to be responsible.
“I am appealing to parents and guardians to protect young children and resist those who want to use them as sex objects,” he said.
He was addressing 483 beneficiaries of Elimu scholarship programme in Makueni on Saturday.
Mwangi urged young girls and boys not to engage in sex and instead concentrate on education, which makes the best contribution in their lives.
Elimu scholarship programme is an initiative funded by the World Bank and Government of Kenya in partnership with Equity Bank through the Ministry of Education.
It seeks to help intelligent students with limited financial resources pursue and successfully complete secondary education.
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana lauded the government for initiating the programme, which he said will help improve lives of many intelligent young children and their families.
The governor urged the beneficiaries not to worry about their background but to focus on their studies.
He said such intelligent generation was the hope, face and the future of Kenya and the world.
“As a person sometimes I am almost giving up because of the problems we have in Kenya, Africa and the world but when I see this brilliant generation I see better future,” said the governor.
