Busia County First Lady Judy Ojaamong and County Director of Medical Services Dr Janerose Ambuchi during the World Contraception Day at Nangina Dispensary, Samia Sub-county, September 26, 2017. [Photo|Busia County Government]
Cases of teenage pregnancies in Busia County have raised eyebrows of County medical officers, First Lady Judy Ojaamong, politicians and administrators.
County Director of Medical Services Dr Janerose Ambuchi revealed that 433 girls aged 10-14 years gave birth between January 2016 and September 15, 2017 across the County.
Nambale Sub County led in 2016 with 91 deliveries. Bunyala was second with 77, Matayos 66, Teso North 54, Butula 37, Teso South 13 with Samia registering the least at 11.
Speaking during the World Contraception Day on Tuesday at Nangina Dispensary when Dr Ambuchi said Busia county registered 84 deliveries in 2017.
Dr Ambuchi said married men are the main contributors of teenage pregnancies, thus ruining the lives of teenage girls from pursuing their education careers.
"Such men should be confined in jail," she said, adding that the only solution to this scenario is for girls under the age of 19 to abstain from sex.
Busia County First lady Judy Ojaamong said 'disco matanga' which is the main cause of teenage pregnancies in the County should be banned, adding that parents should monitor their children when they are not in school.
The First Lady said she fully supports Family Planning.
"Parents should not assume that teenage girls don't practice sex. They do it in secrecy, thus the need to talk to them," she said.
County Director of Health Dr Melsa Lutomia said Busia was the leading in teenage pregnancy which is 21 per cent compared to the national prevalence of 18 per cent.
"Busia County is also leading in median age for the first sex for women between 20-49 yrs which stands at 17 years. This county again is leading with a median age at first marriage at 18 years, meaning that 50 percent of women get married aged 18 years," she said, Tuesday.
Dr Lutomia said 13 per cent of adolescents in the country were married. She called for the introduction of friendly services in public health institutions to avoid queuing with elderly which creates fear among them.
Four girls from Butula who got pregnant at 14 years and are now aged between 17 and 19 narrated how their parents denied them an opportunity of returning to school until REEP organisation in partnership with Busia Women Representative Florence Mutua taking them back to school.
Deputy County Commissioner, Samia Sub-county Kiprotich Rop, said for Busia County to succeed in Family Planning, all girls should be taken to school, adding that no girl who has completed "O" levels can allow herself deliver every year.
"Men should also not allow their wives to go for tuboligation (operation to stop more births) whereas them (men) don't want to undergo vasectomy," the DCC said.
Samia Sub-county Administrator David Sibeyo said "some sections of the society like Muslim encourage polygamy, certain cultures still uphold the marriage of many women while others encourage out grower culture. This results in children born under such arrangements not have good lives."