Trans Nzoia County has launched a sweeping emergency response following a disturbing 17% rise in early pregnancies among school-going girls — a trend officials say is fueling a spike in school dropouts and worsening academic outcomes.
The County Department of Education has linked the surge to a combination of poverty, lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, and repeated expulsion of students due to unpaid school fees.
In response, the county is rolling out a multi-pronged intervention plan aimed at keeping students in school and tackling the root causes of early pregnancies.
“We are seeing a direct link between poverty and early pregnancies,” said Education CECM Janerose Nasimiyu Mutama during a bursary distribution at Muungano Secondary School. “When head teachers send students home repeatedly, especially in low-income areas, many girls resort to transactional relationships to survive.”
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The county host a bursary event which saw more than 210 students receive school fee support under Governor George Natembeya’s Ukombozi Elimu initiative, which has so far helped thousands of vulnerable learners complete their education through Form Four.
In addition to financial support, the county is launching a county-wide mentorship program involving school alumni, aimed at inspiring students to focus on their education despite personal or socioeconomic challenges.
The CEC revealed that the county will also begin distributing free sanitary pads to girls and boxers to boys to promote dignity and gender equity in schools. “Some girls rely on boyfriends for pads, which can lead to exploitation. We want to end that cycle,” she said.
Mutama also revealed that, high-risk sub-counties such as Endebess, Kwanza, and Saboti have been prioritized for outreach campaigns focusing on abstinence education and long-term academic benefits. She said that local women’s groups like the Trans Nzoia Women Caucus have been brought on board to help drive grassroots engagement.
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The crisis has already taken a toll on academic performance. Mutama noted that last year’s poor results in several schools were directly linked to rising dropout rates among pregnant girls and boys unable to afford school fees.
Calling for justice, she urged administrators and law enforcement to hold perpetrators of early pregnancies accountable. “These men must be prosecuted and compelled to support the children they father. The girls deserve a chance to return to school and complete their education,” she said.
She also called for schools to support young mothers instead of stigmatizing them. “Education is a right, not a privilege,” she stressed. “We must create a system that allows every girl to return to class with dignity.”
In a passionate appeal to students, Mutama encouraged them to remain focused and avoid early sexual activity. “You are in school for a season and a reason. Let your education be your foundation for freedom and success,” she said.
The Trans Nzoia initiative is being hailed as a proactive model as other counties across Kenya face similar challenges in safeguarding the education and future of adolescent girls.
By Godfrey Wamalwa
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