ONE SECONDARY SCHOOL HAD 14 CASES THIS YEAR
Nyandarua West DC, Paul Famba, is jovial and an effective, no-nonsense provincial administrator who never shies away from expressing his thoughts even if they might rub some people the wrong away.
Recently, he decried the increased cases of teenage pregnancies among school-going girls in the district, observing that school dropout rates had reached “alarming levels” as a result of girls who had to leave school once they got prematurely into the family way .
He even named one secondary school which is notorious for this menace...
BY HOME NEWS CORRESPONDENT, OL JORO OROK
Nyandarua West District Commissioner Paul Famba has decried increased cases teenage pregnancies among school going girls in the area.
Famba observed that school dropout rates had reached “alarming levels” in the district as a result of girls who had to leave school once they got into the family way prematurely.
Speaking yesterday during the district’s celebrations to mark the country’s Mashujaa Day at Ol Joro Orok Primary School grounds, the administrator specifically singled out Ngano Secondary School where he said 14 girls in Form three and Form four had dropped out due to early pregnancies this year.
The D.C however pointed an accusing finger at the girls parents whom he said were frustrating authorities in getting to the bottom of the matter and identify the culprits behind the acts. “Cases of early pregnancies are so rampant in this district yet most parents prefer to cover up the matter instead of cooperating with us so that we can arrest those involved and stem the vice as well as send strong signals to would be others.” Famba said.
Famba said though there has been an outcry that boy child was being neglected, there was an urgent need to protect the girl child noting that she was most venerable to falling prey to relatives and close friend in engaging in sexual affairs with the girls.
He said most girl get pregnant and end up dropping out of school and flee from their home while other parent decide to remain quiet over the matter.
The D.C further said that he had directed chiefs from the areas where the pregnant girls hail from to investigate and assist in the arrest of all the culprits.
The administrator reiterated government’s commitment in ensuring that all children have access to free and compulsory primary education but added that retention in school and completion by girls remained a challenge.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that in some of the cases, the pregnant girls had been impregnated by close relatives.
“We don’t want to be a district of producing house and bar maids since our girls do not complete their education due to early pregnancies,” he said
Besides education, the D.C pointed out that empowering girls and women also involves the enactment of legislation which guarantees equal access to opportunities and resources.
Famba at the same time called on leaders to commit themselves in their roles of nation building so that they can leave a mark after they retire.
The function was also attended by Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi who challenged residents to christen local institutions names of local heroes and heroines as a way of honouring them.
Last week, this paper reported the strange case of two Form Four students in Nyahururu and Molo who were sitting for the KCSE papers in hospital maternity wards after delivering baby boys.
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