Leaders in Bungoma County have vowed to end the teen pregnancy menace that has gone on unabated and put the county to shame, setting it up as a bad example and the laughing stock of the country.
Speaking at Lugulu Girls National School recently during a leaders consultative meeting on education and teenage pregnancy, Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka reiterated his government’s commitment to ensure that young girls are protected from sex pests, noting that it is one of the major causes of the high rates of drop out and poor performance .
“ I am utterly shattered by the ballooning numbers of our teens getting pregnant while in school,” declared Lusaka, citing a recent report that there were 26,149 teen mothers and 1,679 HIV-positive girls aged 10-24 in Bungoma County by June 2023.
On his part, Bungoma County Commissioner Thomas Sankei said Interior Ministry officers from all the 13 sub-counties will work closely to bring the perpetrators to book, urging parents to avoid settling matters informally as it is against the rule of law.
Bungoma County Director of Education Pius Ng’oma, on a different matter, asked parents and leaders to seek dialogue with teachers when things do not happen the way they want instead of harassing them.
His sentiments were repeated by TSC Director Wilson Kibor Koros and Caleb Omondi, who is in charge of quality assurance and standards.
Other leaders present at the meeting were legislators Dan Wanyama of Webuye West, Martin Wanyonyi Pepela of Webuye East, Jack Wamboka of Bumula, John Makali of Kanduyi, and Didmus Barasa of Kimilili, who generally agreed to come up with more laws to protect children.
Others were Senator David Wafula Wakoli, Deputy Governor Jenipher Mbatiany, Vice Chancellor Kibabii University Prof Isaac Odeo Ipara, and Lugulu Girls High School Chief Principal Dina Cheruiyot.
By Achola Bulimo Mathews
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