Early marriage, HIV, GBV biggest challenges facing youth

Early marriages, HIV and Gender Based Violence have been cited as the top three biggest challenges facing the youth across the country.

National Council for Population and Development director general Mohammed Sheikh said the triple threat should be addressed head on to save the next generation.

He spoke during a workshop by different stakeholders to address issues of population and development at a Garissa hotel on Saturday.

Sheikh said the national and county governments together with the relevant players must come together to provide opportunities for the youth.

This, he said, will be done through proper planning and prioritising programmes that will empower the youth.

The director however said the challenges vary from one county to another.

He said teenage pregnancies and FGM are rampant in Northeastern and the numbers are worrying, hence the need for the stakeholders to make the right response to arrest the situation.

According to statistics FGM in Northeastern stands at more than 98 per cent. Gender based violence and child marriages are also rampant in the region.

Northern Kenya has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country with the main cause being obstructed labour because of FGM.

Sheikh said there is a need to educate members of the public, especially the rural residents on the harmful practices, health dangers as well as the penalties they attract.

"If you are found engaging in this harmful practice then there are laws that will deal with you. Unfortunately a big number are still not well informed about these laws.

“It is important that this information is disseminated to the public and the people of Garissa. Vigorous campaigns and awareness creation need to be carried out,” he said.

Garissa deputy county commissioner Solomon Chesut said chiefs, village elders and the nyumba kumi elders have a big role to play in not only ending the vices but also disseminating the right  information to the public.

“We are law enforcement officers and the law is very clear when it comes to practicing some of these harmful cultural practices that have been prohibited.

“Any administration officer found abetting them will only have him or herself to blame, since serious administration measures will be taken against them,” he said.

Fatuma Dekhow Maalim from the women education and health for development said wananchi have a very big role to play in ending these retrogressive and harmful practices that only work against the community.

“There is no single person who is placed to end these harmful practices. It is a collective responsibility that involves the sheikhs, elders, the civil society, the youth and our mothers. Everybody should be involved,” she said.

During the workshop, the international conference on population and development was also disseminated.

In 2019, Kenya made 17 commitments among them to end teenage pregnancies, maternal mortality, gender based violence and zero unmet need for family planning.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)