Teenage pregnancies in Kilifi might soon be a thing of the past after Finland agreed to partner with the Kilifi County Government in rolling out an awareness program in a move to reduce the cases.
The partnership was confirmed after Finland Ambassador to Kenya Erik Lundberg paid a courtesy call to Kilifi Governor Amazon Kingi on Wednesday.
While speaking during the meeting, the envoy said Kilifi, Bungoma and Samburu counties were considered for the special arrangement after being on the spot for recording very high numbers of school going girls being impregnated and early marriages.
“We want to assist the most three affected. Our aim is to reduce and later end cases of teenage pregnancies and also Gender Based Violence (GBV). We hope our efforts shall bear fruits as we usher in the programme,” said the envoy as quoted by Tuko news.
Kilifi in specific has been among the hotbeds of cases of teenage pregnancies with over 10,000 cases of pregnant learners being recorded in 2018 with the number feared to be soaring even higher in 2019.
More fingers have been pointed at bodaboda riders, teachers and male relative as being notorious for impregnating school girls.
During the meeting, Kingi said that the menace had dealt a blow on the county's education system but exuded county optimism that a special task force he had constituted to fight the vice would help reinstate sanity.
“We shall also be putting up fully equipped sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) facilities in the entire county in order to assist victims who have been missing timely health assistance,” said the Governor.