Analysis of available data reveals alarming statistics that may have put your girl-child under siege, even as Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed ordered an audit of all pregnant girls in school. It is now emerging that the country could be staring at a bigger problem, with Government data putting the county with highest pregnancy prevalence rate at 40 per cent.
The latest Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) says Narok County has the highest burden of teenage pregnancies and motherhood in Kenya. Interestingly, Kitui County, which announced some 110 candidates sitting this year’s Form Four examinations are pregnant, has been ranked in position 30 with a prevalence rate of 14 per cent. This means that more teenage pregnancy cases may not have been reported countrywide, even as the teachers’ employer accused parents and teachers of colluding to cover up cases. According to the KDHS data, Homa Bay County ranks second with a prevalence rate of 33 per cent, followed by West Pokot (29), Tana River (28) and Nyamira (28), closing the top five.
