Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has informed the Senate that his ministry lacks a comprehensive framework and information management system to aggregate data on reported learner pregnancies and the perpetrators involved.
Appearing before the Senate plenary to respond to member queries, CS Ogamba explained that under the 2020 Re-entry Guidelines, school heads and teachers serve as the primary points of contact for identifying and reporting cases of pregnant learners and child mothers.
However, he pointed out significant gaps in monitoring and reporting, noting that some school heads hesitate to share information out of fear that exposing institutional vulnerabilities might harm their schools' reputations.
“At present, the available data is mainly drawn from national surveys undertaken through the health sector. In the first five months of 2023, for example, the Kenya Health Information System recorded an alarming 110,821 cases among adolescents aged 10 to 19,” Ogamba told the lawmakers.
The CS was responding to questions posed by Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, who sought details on how the ministry monitors teenage pregnancies among learners, the tools used to consolidate such data, and county-by-county statistics for 2023 and 2024. Senator Mumma also demanded to know how many cases involved teachers as perpetrators and how many resulted in successful prosecutions.
CS Ogamba clarified that tracking perpetrators requires a multi-agency framework involving the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and law enforcement bodies including the National Police Service, the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Judiciary.
“Designation as a perpetrator necessarily implies that a disciplinary and/or criminal justice process has been concluded with a finding against the suspect. In the context of ongoing reforms, we are working on a system that brings together all these agencies for purposes of sharing data,” Ogamba explained.
Citing national health surveys, the Cabinet Secretary revealed that teenage pregnancy rates vary widely by region. In 2022, counties with the highest rates among young women aged 15–19 included Samburu (50.1%), West Pokot (36.3%), Marsabit (29.4%), Narok (28.1%), Meru (23.6%), Homa Bay (23.2%), Migori (22.4%), Kajiado (21.8%), and Siaya (20.9%).
Responding to queries on re-enrollment efforts, Ogamba stated that the framework supporting child mothers is anchored in the Constitution—which guarantees free and compulsory basic education—and the Basic Education Act of 2013. This is operationalized through the National Guidelines for School Re-entry in Early Learning and Basic Education (2020).
“These guidelines seek to operationalise the right of out-of-school children, including pregnant girls and lactating mothers, to continue their education. They provide clear procedures for schools to follow in the treatment of girls during pregnancy and post-pregnancy, allowing girls to continue their education while pregnant and after giving birth,” Ogamba said.
He emphasized that guidelines mandate unconditional readmission for teenage mothers, adding that if teen parents face stigma at their former institutions, they must be enrolled elsewhere.
While acknowledging that the ministry currently lacks disaggregated data on exact re-enrollment numbers or those remaining out of school, Ogamba noted that the upgraded Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) is being configured to capture these metrics.
Highlighting the barriers preventing teen mothers from returning to class, the CS pointed to financial distress, childcare costs, peer stigma, and family rejection.
“Young mothers face stigma from peers and even their own families, which can lead to school transfer and dropout. In some cases, girls face discrimination based on their apparent academic and sporting abilities, making school environments hostile for them,” Ogamba said.
He added that implementation is often hindered by a lack of clear directives at the school level, leaving action to headteachers' discretion, many of whom are unaware of their roles or the specifics of the re-entry policy.
Asked whether the ministry had conducted independent research into the root causes of teenage pregnancies, Ogamba admitted no direct studies had been undertaken by his ministry, relying instead on surveys from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), health agencies, and development partners.
“Research highlights that pregnancy is the critical incident that precedes school dropout for the majority (66%) of out-of-school girls and that for most schoolgirls, the pregnancy was unintended (93%). Poverty, lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, and early sexual debut are key drivers,” Ogamba noted.
He further cited the lingering impact of COVID-19, referencing studies showing that secondary school girls out of class for six months during lockdowns faced twice the risk of pregnancy and three times the risk of dropping out.
Other contributing factors cited by the CS include inadequate parental guidance, the prevalence of night vigils (Disco Matanga), illicit alcohol dens, poverty, rising cases of incest and domestic sexual violence, and day-school students renting unguided lodgings far from home.
