Nyakach: Kisumu village grappling with teenage pregnancy

Some of the teen mothers from Kisumu's Nyakach village. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard] It's Monday, and the weather is calm and sun-kissed in the Plateau area of Nyakach Sub-County, Kisumu County. Beneath this serene atmosphere, however, a troubling issue is quietly brewing, threatening the lives of young girls in their formative years, and the future of the Nyakach community. At a community-organised gathering, which brings together various stakeholders to discuss the escalating crisis of teenage pregnancies, we notice a small group of young girls gathered in one corner of the dome tent where the discussions are taking place. Upon inquiring, one of the event organisers informs us that the young girls in school uniforms are, in fact, mothers. Some have their babies with them, either under their care or nearby, being looked after by their own mothers, who have effectively become nannies to their grandchildren, born to their underage daughters. After receiving permission from the support groups overseeing them, we sat down with a few girls to hear their stories and understand how they became mothers at such a tender age. Lauren Atieno (not her real name) is a case that sounds as bizarre as it is shocking. The 17-year-old girl now caring for her one-year-old son was defiled by a person she knew temporarily derailing her nursing career dream. The caretaker who defiled her later fled allegedly with the support of his influential employer who didn't want the matter reported as it would have 'tainted his image'. "We were working on our cassava farm. As we were heading home, someone from a nearby homestead called me. I thought he wanted to send me on an errand, so I went. When I got there, he held my hand and led me into the outside kitchen in the compound where he defiled me." READ: Teen pregnancies drop sharply in Kisumu as key interventions bear fruit "He warned me not to tell anyone, including my aunt, warning that she would beat me up if I told her what had happened," she painfully added. Her story is similar to Rensy Akello, 17, (not her real name). She says she was attracted to the world of dating by her peers, who made having a boyfriend look like a major achievement. Some of the teen mothers from Kisumu's Nyakach village. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard] "I got pregnant at 17, I was in Form Two. I used to hang around with some of my friends, then they started telling me how it's cool to have a boyfriend. They told me that if I have a boyfriend, I'll always have money to buy snacks every day while in school," she narrated. "I met this guy, he was 28 years old. He used to give me money to board a motorbike whenever I said I didn't want to walk to school. I visited him twice at his rented house, and he treated me well like a queen," Akello added. Things would change only a few weeks into the illegal love affair with the man now demanding more than she was willing to offer, at least at the time. "One day when I visited him, he started touching me. I protested, but he didn't stop," she said. "He told me that nothing is free and that I had to sleep with him that day if I wanted him to keep supporting me. He took me to his bed and forced himself on me. I didn't enjoy anything and told him so. I said I would report him to my mother. But he told me to go ahead and report, saying no one would trace him because he wasn't from the area," she shared. Desperation and fear of being looked down upon by a society that tends to blame women, including minors who are victims of sexual offenses against children, forced her out of her parents' home. "Later, I found out I was pregnant and decided to move to my grandmother's place before anyone could notice. When I needed money, I called my father, but he refused to help and told me never to return home." At some point while overwhelmed by pressure, she had suicidal thoughts, she said. For Irene Akoth (real withheld), poverty forced her single mother to ask her to drop out of school. "I was in Form One and just 16 years old at the time. My mother told me to drop out of school because she couldn't afford the fees. She then sent me to a family friend in Kericho to learn tailoring," Akoth said. Some of the teen mothers from Kisumu's Nyakach village. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard] "My mother again was unable to pay the man who was training me, and he asked me to stop going to the shop until the payments were made. I was staying with another relative. A man who was our neighbour in Kericho approached me and said that he had fallen in love with me and that he would help me pay a tailoring trainer if we became friends (dated). I was reluctant but later agreed," she added. "We slept together on several occasions but he never paid anything for me to continue with my training," she narrated. Like Akello before her, her 'lover' turned against her when she told her that she was expecting a baby. "After about a month, I started feeling unwell and went to the hospital for a checkup. It was at the hospital where I was told that I was pregnant. When I told him, he told me he was not responsible then he fled, I had to come back home." Her mother though disappointed, supported her to go back to school. Now a mother and a Form Four student, Irene struggles to balance between motherhood and preparation for exams amid financial challenges in her family. Speaking during the Nyakach event, Beatrice Odongo, Kisumu County CECM for Sports, Culture, Arts, Gender and Youth Affairs, said there is a growing need for more sensitization around Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies in Nyakach Sub-County. "Keep coming forward to speak. Through such conversations, people get to understand these issues better. Some get involved in these acts unknowingly, while others do so knowingly but without understanding the consequences," she said. She emphasized the need to economically empower families, noting that most cases can be traced back to poverty particularly in rural areas and among single-mother households. "There is a great need to empower families economically," she said. "Girls should also be encouraged to speak out about issues affecting them, including access to sanitary towels." Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys shows that nearly two out of 10 girls aged between 15 and 19 are either pregnant or have already given birth. Each year, over 13,000 girls drop out of school due to pregnancy. ALSO READ: Report reveals surge in teenage pregnancy cases A recent report by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) raised alarm, revealing that an average of 696 adolescent girls were impregnated daily in 2023. The rise is attributed to a lack of access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and education. In Kenya, nearly 1 in 4 women give birth by age 18, and almost half by the age of 20. One in every five adolescents aged 15-19 is either a mother or pregnant with her first child. While the proportion of adolescent pregnancies (ages 10-19) in Kenya declined by 41 per cent between 2018 and 2023, pregnancies among girls aged 10-14 remain worryingly high, accounting for about 6 per cent of all adolescent pregnancies recorded between 2016 and 2023. According to the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), in 2021 alone, the country recorded 316,187 adolescent pregnancies. Of these, 294,364 were among girls aged 15-19, while 21,823 (7 per cent) were among those aged 10-14. Despite the government's launch of the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy (2015), which promotes access to comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent-friendly services, this form of education is still not offered as a national programme in schools. This is despite global evidence showing its effectiveness in helping adolescents make informed decisions about their sexuality and health. Nyakach and Nyando constituencies account for nearly 19 per cent of all teenage pregnancies in Kisumu County, highlighting a deeply rooted social challenge driven by inequality, lack of information, and limited access to reproductive health services. Teenage pregnancy has reached alarming levels in Kisumu County. According to Plan International Kenya, the rate of teenage pregnancies has surged from 22 per cent to 42 per cent in recent years. In Kisumu, 25 per cent of teenagers reported having had sex before the age of 15. Shockingly, 80 per cent of teenage pregnancies occur while the girls are still in primary school. Furthermore, 42 per cent of teenage girls have been forced to drop out of school due to unintended pregnancies, with adults aged 20-30 especially bodaboda operators being responsible for nearly 50 per cent of these cases. According to observers, teenage pregnancy in Kisumu is more widespread in rural areas, where poverty, gender inequality, lack of reproductive health information and inadequate sexuality education continue to hinder efforts to protect adolescent girls. Backed by the President's call to end GBV and femicide in the country, Nyakach Sub-County has intensified its community engagement through the "Komesha Dhuluma" campaign, a bold initiative aimed at tackling the rising cases of GBV and femicide in the area. Also known by its local slogan "Kik Ipand Otoyo, Obiro Chamo Nyithindi," the campaign seeks to bring transformative change by addressing GBV's root causes at the grassroots level. Recently, Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, in partnership with the NSDCC, launched a comprehensive campaign targeting the "triple threat" of teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections and GBV in the county. Focusing on secondary schools in the sub-county, the initiative aims to empower adolescents with accurate information and life skills to protect themselves against these interlinked threats. Kisumu County continues to register some of the highest numbers of new HIV infections among teenagers nationwide posing a major challenge in the fight against the virus. Speaking at Guu Mixed Secondary School in Nyakach during one of the sensitization forums, Senator Mumma emphasized the urgency of reversing these troubling trends, noting that Kisumu ranks first nationally in HIV prevalence. She attributed the high infection rates to factors such as peer pressure, poverty and the absence of comprehensive sex education in schools. "Our young people are misled by what they see on social media, while our policies still prohibit comprehensive sex education. That must change," she said. She expressed concern over the rising cases of incest and sexual abuse, disclosing that girls as young as nine have been molested by relatives. Many others, she added, are pushed into transactional sex due to period poverty. "Our girls are suffering in silence. Some have been infected or impregnated simply because they lacked sanitary towels," she said, urging the government to intervene. Senator Mumma distributed sanitary pads to students and urged the Ministry of Education to ensure every school receives these essential supplies. "If we want to keep girls in school, we must treat sanitary towels as a basic need just like textbooks," she said. Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma distributing sanitary towels to Naki Secondary School in Nyakach during sensitization on teenage pregnancies in the school on 20th June 2025. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard] She also revealed that the Senate is reviewing legislation to close loopholes in the legal framework dealing with GBV and to enhance justice for survivors. NSDCC Regional Coordinator for Nyanza and Western, Steven Oyugi, stressed the importance of school-based interventions in confronting the triple threat. "These sessions bring the fight against HIV and GBV right to where it matters most among the youth," he said. Oyugi noted too that Kisumu has the highest number of people living with HIV nationally, with about 135,000 cases, including over 53,000 men. Within the county, Nyakach ranks fourth in new infections, with a current HIV prevalence of 14 per cent. He applauded the collaboration with Senator Mumma as a vital step in bridging awareness and access gaps in prevention and support services. The campaign will extend to more schools, with both parties reaffirming their commitment to protect the future of Kisumu's children. Speaking during the Nyakach community engagement, she urged leaders and residents to take collective responsibility in ending the vice. "GBV is not just a Kisumu or Nyakach problem, it's a national crisis," she said. "The President tasked leaders to pick constituencies and lead this campaign. I chose Nyakach because I am connected to this place and I believe I must act." The Nyakach forum brought together elders, youth, boda boda riders, police officers, chiefs, persons with disabilities, child protection officers and health promoters to identify causes and develop local solutions to GBV. Nyakach Council of Elders Chair, George Arogo, acknowledged past silence by traditional leaders and pledged to use community barazas to raise awareness. On March 7, 2024, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) declared unintended teenage pregnancy a national human rights crisis. The KDHS 2022 report indicated that 15 per cent of girls aged 15 - 19 were pregnant, with Samburu leading at 50 per cent. ALSO READ: Heartfelt letter to the governor of Kisumu County According to NSDCC, 696 adolescent girls became pregnant daily in 2023. KHRC launched a "Red Card" campaign, accusing 20 governors and the health CS of failing to protect adolescent girls through policy. In Kisumu alone, 73,171 adolescent pregnancies were recorded between 2016 and 2024-constituting 22 per cent of all first antenatal care attendances. Although teenage pregnancies have declined by 42 per cent in Kisumu between 2018 and 2024, the numbers remain alarming, especially in Nyakach and Muhoroni. Roughly 8.6 per cent of Kisumu's females aged 15-19 are married, compared to 8.4 per cent in Siaya and 11.2 per cent in Kericho, according to the 2022 Economic Survey. FIDA Kenya lawyer Phyllis Chepkemboi highlighted the harsh realities victims face, especially when perpetrators are family members. "Some perpetrators are relatives. Victims depend on them for support, which hinders access to justice or medical help. Even reporting becomes nearly impossible," she said. She emphasized the cultural and financial barriers that protect offenders and silence victims. NSDCC's Stephen Kathaka reiterated Kisumu's alarming statistics: the highest HIV burden, rising teenage pregnancies and pervasive GBV. He called for urgent interventions. "Sexual violence derails education, mental health and life opportunities for girls. Even boys suffer, particularly in peer-influenced pregnancies," he said. Kathaka noted too that Nyakach ranks fourth in new HIV infections among youth, after Kisumu Central, Kisumu East and Kisumu West. David Okeyo of the National Gender Equality Commission emphasized the economic burden of GBV, stating that a 2016 study showed a family spends over Sh16,000 to pursue justice for a survivor. The national cost over 10 years stands at approximately Sh10 billion. Okeyo urged male engagement, saying, "While men are often perpetrators, they are also increasingly victims. This is a shared struggle." He praised Nyakach's model of widow reintegration, encouraging communities to use cultural structures, such as elders and barazas, to end stigma, encourage reporting and advocate for justice and survivor care.

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