•Deputy Governor for Nandi Yulita Mitei said this was an increase from about 3,000 cases in the second half of last year.
• She said the county like many others is facing a crisis of teen pregnancies, which soared since schools were closed in March because of Covid-19.
More than 6,000 Nandi girls have fallen pregnant this year, most of them since schools closed in March because of Covid-19.
That means more school dropouts.
It's estimated than 20,000 girls will drop out of school by the end of the year in the eight counties of the North Rift. The nationwide official total is not known but it could easily be tens of thousands.
Nandi Deputy Governor Yulita Mitei said on Sunday 6,000 was double the pregnancies in the second half of last year. She spoke in the Catholic Church in Eldoret.
She said the county, like the rest of the country, is facing a crisis of teen pregnancies that threatens an entire generation and must be urgently tackled.
Pregnancy is a more serious threat to schoolgirls than Covid-19, she said. The 6,000 cases were reported between January and September.
“If you compare the effects of Covid-19 and what has happened to our girls, then we have a more serious crisis because just in nine month we have completely ruined the lives of more than 6,000 girls in Nandi alone," Mitei said.
The county deputy chief said the real number could be higher because only hospital births were recorded.
“There are many others who never reached the health facilities and many others who may have decided to have abortions. This simply points to a crisis that we must all face," she said.
Opportunities for girls are curtailed because of pregnancies and all stakeholders must come together instead of ignoring the crisis, the deputy governor said.
The time has come for communities to discuss how to support child mothers so they can continue with their education and other activities.
Nandi and Trans Nzoi counties have recorded especially high numbers of unwanted pregnancies since March.
The chairman of the clergy in the region Bishop Wilson Kurui said parents have a great responsibility to guide all teens, especially girls, so their lives are not ruined by pregnancies.
“Covid-19 came with many lessons for parents who never stayed at home with their children for long periods," the bishop said.
(Edited by V. Graham)