The government has urged families, communities, and
institutions to join hands in protecting children and tackling teenage
pregnancies, emphasising that safeguarding the well-being of young people is a
shared national responsibility.
Appearing before the Senate plenary on Wednesday, Gender,
Culture and Children’s Services Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo said
addressing teenage pregnancies requires early education, awareness about
biological processes, and active community engagement.
“Under the niche supported by the Government of Kenya, the
World Bank, and other partners, we still need more funds because this is a
societal problem that requires collective action,” Cheptumo told senators.
She noted that the duty of preventing teenage pregnancies
cannot rest solely with the State Department for Children’s Services.
Cheptumo urged parents and community leaders to guide
children, especially during school holidays, to prevent them from falling into
early pregnancies.
The CS also outlined reforms aimed at addressing
long-standing underfunding in the State Department for Children’s Services,
which she said has hindered effective delivery of child welfare programs.
She told senators that the ministry has adopted a
multi-front strategy to secure higher budget allocations and integrate child
protection financing into national planning frameworks.
To improve efficiency, the ministry is enforcing strict
compliance with the Public Finance Management Act (2012) and the Public
Procurement and Disposal Act (2005) alongside its 2020 regulations. These
reforms aim to eliminate bureaucratic delays and enhance accountability.
Cheptumo added that the ministry has empowered accounting
officers to approve payments within set limits and enlisted engineers and
quantity surveyors from the State Department for Public Works to improve
project cost accuracy.
The Cabinet Secretary also highlighted the Victim Protection
Fund—established under the Victims Protection Act of 2014—as key in supporting
victims of crime and abuse, including children.
As of June 2025, Kenya had 714 children’s officers serving
across all 47 counties, reaching more than 18 million children.
Cheptumo admitted that staffing challenges persist but
assured senators that recruitment and better resource allocation are underway
to strengthen child protection services.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS)
shows that teenage pregnancies are most prevalent in Nairobi City, Bungoma,
Kakamega, and Narok counties.
In 2024, these regions recorded between 2.8 and 6.2 percent
of adolescent pregnancies. Nationally, pregnancies among girls aged 10–19
dropped by 1.9 percent to 253,300. Cases among those aged 10–14 declined by 9.5
percent to 11,831, while those aged 15–19 fell by 1.5 percent to 241,483.
The 2025 report indicated further progress, with total
adolescent pregnancies at first antenatal visits reducing by 4.8 percent to
241,228.
Despite the decline, Nairobi City (6.1 percent), Kakamega
(4.8 percent), Narok (4.4 percent), and Bungoma (4.4 percent) remain the
highest contributors.
