CS Machogu’s shocking response to Sen. Wakoli’s query on pregnancies in Secondary Schools

QUESTIONS BY SENATOR DAVID WAKOLI, M.P.

In Summary;

• Questions
• Answers
  • Statistics
  • Reasons

Question One: Inform the Senate of the Number of High School Students in Bungoma County Who Got Pregnant in 2023, in Comparison to the Previous Year 2022

Honourable Chairperson and Members,

1. A total of 509 secondary school students were reported to have become pregnant in Bungoma County, 2022. In 2023, 323 secondary students were reported to have become pregnant. The table below indicates the comparison in the various sub-counties in the County, in the two years:

Table 1: Pregnancies in Secondary Schools by Sub-Counties in 2022 and 2023

Question Two: Establish the Reasons that Lead to the Increased Cases of Early Pregnancies, especially at St. Thomas Aquinas Chesikaki, Where Approximately 54 Students Have Been Affected, this Being 22% of all Students in the School:

2. As at 26th July, 2023, it was established that Chesikaki Secondary School had an enrolment of 512 learners (276 boys and 236 girls). As at this period, 31 girls were already mothers, 20 were pregnant and 3 dropped out. This totals to 54 learners which translates to 22% of the girls in the school. There are various reasons that contribute to early pregnancies among secondary school girls, including in Bungoma County. These main reasons are listed below:

• (a) Inadequate parental guidance;

• (b) Inadequate parental involvement in the lives and education of their children;

• (c) High prevalence of Disco Matanga;

• (d) Illicit brew dens, alcohol and drug abuse;

• (e) Inadequate community awareness and involvement in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and incest which is on the rise, and which sometimes goes unreported;

• (f) Poverty, and parental inability/failure to provide basic needs for their children;

• (g) Students attending day schools far from home, leading to them renting houses near the markets. This deprives them of parental care and guidance and also exposes them opportunities for sexual activity;

• (h) Poor leadership on children protection rights; and,

• (i) Negative peer influence and pressure.

 Question Three: Explain the Measures that the Government Has Taken Against the Person (s) who Impregnated the Students in Order to Stop this Situation Which Has Affected the Academic Standards in the County.

 Honourable Chairperson and Members,

3. Cases of teenage pregnancy may be the result of conduct that constitutes criminal offences, such as defilement and rape. Each matter is considered on a case by case basis, and appropriate action taken depending on the available evidence. The police in the county now have dedicated gender desks that to deal with cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. A key challenge to the prosecution of these cases has been difficulties in securing the necessary evidence and witness testimony due to the cultural context. In particular, there is a prevalence of kangaroo courts that purport to settle these cases outside the criminal justice system, thereby easily letting off perpetrators and also hindering the victims and other witnesses from coming forward.

4. Going forward, the Government is committed to a holistic approach that focuses on prevention of teenage pregnancies. In this regard, the Government has taken the following measures to prevent pregnancies in secondary schools in Bungoma County and indeed, other parts of the country:

• (a) Sensitization of education stakeholders on teenage pregnancies and sexual & gender-based violence to encourage prompt reporting of defilement targeting the girls through Ministry of Health, Forum for African Women Educationalists (under the Imarisha Msichana project), Civil Society Organizations and the Children Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

• (b) Encouraging Guidance and Counseling teachers to conduct weekly counseling sessions and identify girls at risk.

• (c) Sensitizing parents during parent’s meetings and Annual General Meetings.

• (d) Media engagement through local vernacular radio stations.

• (e) Inclusion of educational advocacy and gender sensitization in projects. The SEQIP Project has trained chiefs in Mt. Elgon, Cheptais, Kopsiro and Bungoma West on issues regarding pregnancies in their areas.

• (f) Training and engagement of stakeholders and community leaders on their roles in supporting quality education.

This is respectfully submitted. I remain at your disposal to provide any such clarification as may be required.

~ Dr. Ezekiel Machogu, EGH , CABINET SECRETARY ~