Migori county plans to ban late-night funerals ceremonies — with attendant disco matanga — to reduce high rates of teen pregnancies.
Migori Governor Okoth Obado, wife Helen, and Kakamega, Kisii and Baringo governors' wives on Friday walked 5km for charity to raise awareness of increasing teen pregnancy in Migori.
Obado said the culture of dancing at night during funerals and FGM have increased teen pregnancy to more than 30 per cent, far above the national average of 18 per cent.
We have a culture where during and after funerals, music called disco matanga is always played for days and weeks on end. We want to ban it completely as it is the main avenue of teen pregnancies.
“We have partnered with other stakeholders is Migori to reduce to rates to around 20 per cent, but we will make a more concerted effort ending pregnancies," Obado said.
He said a motion in the Migori assembly criminalises playing music at funerals.
“We have a culture where during and after funerals, music called disco matanga, is always played for days and weeks on end. We want to ban it completely as it is the main avenue of teen pregnancies,” Obado said.
His wife Helen said, “We want to reduce cases of children having children when they can’t take good care of them. We need childbearing to start at a normal age."
Kanyasa MCA Jackiepol Ongoro, the Migori assembly chairman, said apart MCAs also have passed a sexual gender-based and health bills, which will aim to end teen pregnancy issues.
“These bills, if passed into law will open doors on how best we can work with stakeholders in ending the problem," she said.
Janet Aketch, the programme officer of Jhpiego, which has been working with teenagers in Migori, said they formed health clubs where vulnerable girls have been sharing their problems.
“Lack of sex education by parents, peer pressure and poverty have been key in high cases of teen pregnancies and early marriages. We have worked out how to return teen mothers to school," she said.
Speakers said cultural beliefs, FGM, work in gold mines and sex for fish in the fishing industry along Lake Victoria have raised pregnancy rates.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
