Homa Bay unveils plan to keep girls in school

Education stakeholders during the launch of the Gender in Education Action Plan 2026-2030 in Homa Bay Town. [James Omoro, Standard]

Education stakeholders have adopted an action plan to prevent girls from dropping out of school in Homa Bay County.

According to the recent research conducted by the Population Council of Kenya, only 52.9 per cent of girls complete their secondary education in Homa Bay. This is lower than 56.7 per cent of boys who complete their secondary education.

The trend has been attributed to teen pregnancy, early marriage, HIV infections and other forms of gender-based violence.

In an effort to address the challenges impeding children’s education, an action plan has been put in place.

The Gender in Education Action Plan- 2026-2030 was developed by Population Council Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Homa Bay County Director of Education Eunice Khaemba, Research Officer at Population Council Kenya, Lilian Agesa, Homa Bay CECM for Gender Elijah Munga and his Education counterpart Martin Opere presided over the launch of the action plan.

Agesa, said one of their key findings revealed that some stakeholders were not understanding education policies in the county.

She said the lack of understanding was impeding implementation of the education policies in the county.

“Homa Bay loses 30 per cent of girls in transition from primary to secondary schools. Boys also suffer and we need to address the challenges affecting both boys and girls,” Agesa said.

Homa Bay County Education Director Eunice Khaemba said many girls are affected due to HIV infections in their families. Khaemba regretted that when parents die, girls become the most affected because they take the responsibility of raising their siblings.

“The HIV infection leads to the existence of child-headed families where girls start looking for money to feed their families. They either drop out of school or go to school late, a situation that hinders their education,” Khaemba said.

He was optimistic that the action plan will enable them to have proper co-ordination among stakeholders to address the school dropout drivers.

“The action plan we have launched today will guide us as stakeholders to know who does what for the sole objective of ensuring our children complete their education appropriately,” Khaemba said.

CECM Munga explained that the action plan will help the county to pull up resources to meet the needs for addressing school dropout drivers.

“This action plan has the aspect of measurability because it has data and it is evidence based. As stakeholders, we will be able to allocate resources accurately for the required intervention,” Munga said.

He urged residents of Homa Bay County to intensify their efforts in protecting girls from pregnancies.

“The future of our country lies in our children and we should protect our girls from pregnancies. The girls don’t get pregnant alone hence we should also talk to boys in prevention of teen pregnancies,” Munga said.

CECM Opere hailed the action plan for clarifying avenues for promoting education. Opere said the data explained why county governments should issue bursaries to senior school students and vocational training centres

“The action also justifies why the county government spends on secondary and vocational training centres education,” Opere said.

Homa Bay Deputy County Commissioner Philip Kipsang said they must boost their efforts to ensure both boys and girls access education equally.

“Let us all ensure that the action plan is implemented fully,” Kipsang said.