A Community Health Worker in Rongai sub-county has claimed that Bodaboda operators are responsible to most teenage girl related pregnancies in the area as they lure them with free rides and goodies.
Joyce Kipsang’ who is the Head of Rongai Community Health Centre dealing with women health programme, said during a Maternal Health Forum at the centre at Kampi Ya Moto on Tuesday that a survey that was carried out in January on teenage mothers in Rongai sub-county showed that most of the teenagers had been impregnated by Bodaboda operators who easily befriend the young women and lure them into unprotected and irresponsible sexual activities.
“According to a survey we carried out recently about the causes of teenage motherhood in Rongai, more than 80% of the teenagers got lured into unprotected sexual acts by these operators who take advantage of the money they get from their booming taxi business in this area.
She added, “As you are aware that many teenage girls some who are school children and whose homes are far from business centres or schools cannot afford the high costs of transport therefore fall pray to some Bodaboda operators who in return make the girlfriends.”
She added that such children are thus vulnerable to marauding men who take advantage of their situations.
Kipsang’ added that government and other stakeholders should address the situation to arrest the teenage pregnancies’ situation.
She also observed that the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the region contribute largely to maternal death caused by abortion attempts or during birth.