• She said they will go through guidance and counselling before they are taken back to school.
• She said boys should not be neglected.
Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga has said her office will support teenage mothers and ensure they return to school.
She said they will go through guidance and counselling before they are taken back to school.
Wambilianga said she is worried about the high number of teenage girls who drop out of school due to early pregnancy.
"I don't want to see teenage girls move from Bungoma to Nairobi seeking house help jobs. I want to empower the younger generation. They are the ones who will take over from us when we get old," the MP told journalists in Bungoma on Saturday.
She said boys should not be neglected.
Last year, it was reported that at least 6,000 teens became pregnant in Bungoma during the Covid-19 pandemic that saw schools closed for nine months last year.
Wambilianga at the time called for stern action against the perpetrators, saying the figures were worrying.
“The figures we are getting are no doubt frightening and a threat to the education of the girl child,” she had said.
On Saturday, the Bungoma county Ford Kenya chairperson also appealed to parents to apply for bursaries and scholarship opportunities to ensure their children are in school.
“My office has a bursary slot for needy but bright students from Bungoma. I therefore ask them to apply,” Wambilianga said.
She said there are many scholarships in the country and urged university students to apply.
Wambilianga asked University Education and Research PS Simon Nabukwesi to guide students on how to apply for scholarships.
“PS Nabukwesi, as I struggle down here to ensure that our students are getting bursaries and scholarships, help us at the top to ensure that students benefit so that Bungoma will not lack professionals in the future," she said.
Prof Anne Nangulu urged Form 4 leavers who did not attain marks to join university to join TVETs.
“You are not a failure. Join any technical institute near you and gain knowledge and skills. You can as well reach me for further advice,” she said.
Edited by A.N