Leaders in Meru County have raised an alarm over the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies, school dropout rates and sexual violence and called for urgent action to protect minors and enforce the law.
They now want the culprits to be arrested immediately, prosecuted and jailed in a bid to tame the vice.
Some have suggested that the suspects should be castrated to discourage others from taking the same route, noting it is very wrong for men to lure innocent and unsuspecting teenagers with goodies before defiling them.
Local leaders have also called for coordinated action involving families, law enforcement, education officials, and the clergy to curb rising case numbers and restore safety for children across the county.
Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi regretted that 17 schoolgirls sat their Grade Six and Grade Nine examinations from a maternity ward at Maua Level 5 Hospital this year, highlighting the depth of the crisis.
Speaking at his office during a mentorship program to more than 400 students sponsored by his Kamashinani Foundation, the senator said he was “deeply shocked” to find teenagers who were already parents.
He noted that over 4,000 girls have dropped out of school in the past two years due to pregnancy.
Murungi condemned a growing trend where perpetrators negotiate with parents to settle statutory pregnancy and rape cases out of court, often involving gifts such as livestock.
“I was shocked that many of the men responsible for impregnating girls as young as 9 and 15 were old men like me. It is sad to see very young girls dropping out of school, and no action is taken because the matter was settled out of court. The culprits should be arrested immediately, prosecuted and jailed in a bid to tame the vice,” Murungi said.
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He urged chiefs, assistant chiefs and Nyumba Kumi members to intensify community surveillance and ensure perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted without exception.
“You have a responsibility to safeguard the rights of our children. No negotiations,” the senator insisted.
The concerns come just a week after disturbing videos circulated online showing a young woman being gang-raped by a group of men in Meru. This incident has drawn widespread condemnation.
Murungi appealed to religious leaders to intervene spiritually and through awareness creation, describing the surge in sexual crimes as “extremely disappointing and embarrassing.”
Meanwhile, Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya (ZK) also weighed in, urging young girls to make responsible decisions regarding their sexual health and future.
“Never make the wrong choice because it will bring you trouble every time. It is your responsibility to ensure you don’t get pregnant — not your parents’, not your teachers’, and not even the man who impregnates you. Young souls, make the right choice,” Kinya said.
ZK called on Meru leaders to deliver on their mandate, especially by intervening against the rampant Gender Based Violence, defilement, rape and teenage Pregnancies.
“It is shameful that leaders give excuses, whereas they have a lot of money and budgets but don’t want to spend any amount to sensitise residents affected by GBV and drought,” she said.
Kinya said she made a personal commitment while in school not to get pregnant, insisting that early pregnancies can derail education and long-term aspirations.
By John Majau
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