Women leaders are seeking the creation of a special fund to assist victims of teenage pregnancies return to schools after they deliver.The leaders under Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) led by Gathoni Muchomba (Kiambu) and Sabina Chege (Murang’a) said the girls should be assisted with essentials to resume their studies.
They spoke at Ihiga ini village in Maragua constituency when they visited the family of Peter Chege, father to Purity Njeri, a standard three pupil, who was allegedly murdered by a 15 year old neighbour.
The MPs who included Mary Wamaua( Maragua), Florence Mutua (Busia) and Joyce Kamene( Machakos) said teenage pregnancies were a national crisis that should be tackled by all stakeholders for the interest of young mothers.
The leaders have embarked on reproductive health education to the girls in their constituencies, to guard them from falling victims of teenage pregnancies.
Wamuchomba who chairs the association said action should be taken on men who lure underage girls into sex.
“There is a law that spells out harsh punishment to sexual offenders which must be applied to all those implicated in the teenage pregnancies,” said Kiambu MP.
The host Wamau said culprits of teenage pregnancies should not be spared calling for stiff action, to curb the vice.
Bhang smoking, she said, was on the increase in the villages, thus the need for parents to monitor behaviour of their children at all times.
“We regret that our daughters are stressed when culprits are walking free, as women parliamentarians require tough action of the sex predators to curb the behaviours in future,” she said.
Chege on her part said she was working with legal experts to file help find justice for the teenage mothers.
“In Murang’a county the youngest mother will be nine years who the team came across in Ithanga ward in the lower Gatanga,” said Chege.
In Murang’a, she said they have engaged Fida to assist in the investigation against culprits behind teenage pregnancies.
The parliamentary group suggested families of the expectant girls be listed as vulnerable and get relief food distributed by the government through the chiefs in the villages.
