Mijikenda elders in Kilifi County have warned the government against rushing to ban discos in funerals and weddings before carrying out proper research on the issue of teenage pregnancy, hence, to embark on in-depth research to tame the menace.
Speaking at the Magarini Cultural Centre in Gongoni, Magarini Sub County on Monday where they had congregated for special prayers the elders, led by Mijikenda Kaya Elders Association chair Tsuma Nzai, said that modern lifestyles and digital evolution were to blame.
“We welcome the government’s efforts in combating the scourge but again banning some activities on the pretext of fighting teenage pregnancies will not help.
"The ceremonies being banned existed before we were all born and there were no teenage pregnancies then,” Nzai said adding that nowadays children use the internet and phones to communicate.
The elders, however, warned of cursing men who defile and impregnate young girls, adding that they cannot tolerate the alarming reported cases of teenage pregnancies in the County.
“We are warning those who will play with our girls that they will get life curses and they will never know peace in their lives. These are some of the sins we have committed before God that our land is facing many self-inflicted problems such as lack of rain,” said Mzee Stanley Kenga from Kaya Ribe.
The calls by elders come in the backdrop of an increased number of reported cases of teenage pregnancies by the Kilifi County government that stood at 17,000 in the previous year.
It also comes in wake of revelations from the Malindi law courts alone that reported at least 30 defilement cases every month.
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