By NIKKO TANUI
Kericho,Kenya:Five pupils at Cheplanget Primary School in Bureti District, Kericho County have dropped out of school after boda boda operators allegedly impregnated them.
The girls aged between eleven and 16 are said to have been impregnated several months ago and one of them delivered at Kapkatet District Hospital a week ago.
The parents and teachers blamed the pregnancies on boda boda riders who allegedly lure girls with gifts such as clothes, shoes, candy among others. “The boda boda operators take advantage of the minors’ ignorance by offering them free rides in exchange of sex,” said a parent.
Area Chief Elijah Sigei and the District Children’s Officer Grace Kipkech, said the rise in cases of girls dropping out of school in the district due to early pregnancies is alarming.
The two, who held a meeting with the school’s parents to deliberate on the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution, said parents should discuss sex issues with their children instead of considering it a taboo.
“Left without proper advice young boys and girls engage in irresponsible sex that has led to many girls dropping out of school due to early pregnancies,” said Kipkech.
The chief also blamed teachers for not acting on rising indiscipline among the pupils and the school’s administration for failure to call parent-teacher meetings to address the issue in time.
The Bureti Area Education Officer Charles Chepkwony said his office was aware of the incidents. “We are working on stemming out the early pregnancies and keeping girls in school,” he said.
18 girls
Recently, more than 18 girls of Chepkurkur Primary School in Mt Elgon constituency were found to be pregnant.
However, it was established that problems of teenage pregnancy among minors in the region are commonplace.
Though top education officials in the two districts of Cheptais and Mt Elgon could not confirm, most cases never reach them. Independent investigations by The Standard had established that at least 50 girls drop out of school each term in the region.
Credible sources confided to The Standard that eight girls in Kebee Primary School that is about five kilometres from Chepkurkur have dropped out of school for being pregnant.
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