This year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations have exposed how our society is rotten to the core. This was reflected through the number of primary and secondary school underage girls who gave birth during the exam period.
The plight of these underage girls received media limelight because of the national exams. This means that many others have or will give birth without the nation knowing because immediately after the exam media shifts the focus of their cameras elsewhere.
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Who impregnated the underage girls?
History has shown that school girls are impregnated by men of all ages. A few are impregnated by teachers, fellow students, boda boda operators and sugar daddies among other men. It is also worth noting that around the world female teachers have also been impregnated by underage boys. This is usually not highlighted because of obvious reasons. Now the state should dive into the bottom of this matter too.
Punishment
Kenyans from all walks of life have already called for severe punishment for all those who impregnated school girls around the country. A section of women leaders called for castration of the men found guilty of committing the offence.
Discrimination in Prosecution
In 2010, the Irish Times reported that there is discrimination since underage boys are prosecuted while underage girls are never prosecuted.
“Section 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offenses) Act 2006, which discriminates between Underage Girls and boys who have sex in that girls cannot be prosecuted for sexual intercourse while boys can, is not unconstitutional.” The Irish Times
I am in agreement with Kenyan leaders who are calling for prosecution of men who had sex with children but we should also think of prosecuting both boys and girls. That is a fair game. Girls under 18 cannot give consent for sexual intercourse. However, it’s a different ball game when it’s only minors involved.
Problem is Bigger
Recently, Zomolo Wanje of Citizen Television reported that 13,000 underage girls were reported to be pregnant. This data had been provided by the Kilifi County Children Coordinator.
“County Health department recorded 13,624 pregnancies among teenage girls aged between 15-19, ” George Migosi, Kilifi Children Coordinator.
It’s shocking that this data is for the past one year alone. Mr George Migosi placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the parents as a result of child negligence. This is because at least 5,000 cases were neglected children.
“Kilifi North sub-county is leading with 3,134 pregnancies followed by Magarini (2,861) and Kaloleni ( 2,180). Others are Kilifi South and Malindi with 1,771 cases each and Ganze and Rabai with 1,362 and 545 respectively,” added George Migosi.
Duncan Otieno, an Economist and Public Policy analyst based in Nairobi City informed me that there is need for this data to be fact-checked because their sheer size makes it unbelievable and if its accurate, it is shocking to say the least.
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