Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Lilian Siyoi has expressed deep concern over the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies in the county, fearing that the future of many young girls is at risk due to sexual exploitation and subsequent pregnancies.
Mrs. Siyoi stated that it is very unfortunate that men are taking advantage of young girls by luring them with pleasantries, noting that such exploitation leaves many teenage girls' futures hanging in the balance.
She called on law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators face the full force of the law to address this issue effectively. She also condemned the practice where some parents and guardians accept compensation from offenders, allowing them to evade long-term conviction.
"I condemn the habit where some parents and guardians seek compensation from perpetrators, thus enabling them to escape proper legal consequences," she noted at the launch of the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) bursary at St. Monica Girls School in Kitale.
The County's gender coordinator in the State Department of Gender and Affirmative Action, Linet Mayabi, revealed that 19% of school-going teenage girls in both primary and secondary schools in the region have dropped out due to pregnancy.
"There is a need for a multisectoral approach to confront this menace, which is on an alarming trend in the county," said Ms. Mayabi.
The Woman Representative also condemned the habit by some politicians of organizing hooliganism at social events in a show of popularity at the expense of the objectiveThe County's ges of such events.
"It is wrong in our African culture to disrupt occasions like funerals just because you want to further a certain political agenda at the expense of the bereaved," said Mrs. Siyoi.
She emphasized that the NGAAF bursary allocation is specially designed to cater to the education needs of the less privileged in society.