Sex between relatives, otherwise known as incest is on the rise in Kisumu County, the county Director of Special Programmes Ruth Odinga has revealed.
Speaking in Kondele Estate late last week, the former Deputy Governor said that the menace is emanating from poverty in most areas of the county.
She said that the same has led to most families living in single houses, which has consequently contributed to incest-related teen pregnancies.
"A small girl has needs. Parents hardly take care of these needs, which leads the girls into engaging in immoral sexual practices,” Odinga was quoted by the Standard.
She condemned the growing vice, also blaming it on residents for failing to raise the alarm.
Odinga termed the issue a matter of importance that should be tackled the soonest possible to save the young girls, some of whom are forced to drop out of school after getting pregnant.
“We are tired of seeing young girls suffer, yet no one is talking about the incest problem,” added Ruth, sister to opposition leader Raila Odinga.
This comes amid reports from area health facilities that 493 girls aged between 10 and 19 years were recorded pregnant this past year.
According to the County Gender Based Recovery Center, 80 per cent of the rape cases recorded that year involved minor girls.