Culture fuelling teenage pregnancies in Turkana, says MP

Turkana Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor has said cultural practices encourage teenage pregnancies in Turkana.

Emanikor said the Turkana still embrace cultural practices that allow forced and early marriages, contributing to teenage pregnancies during the Covid-19 crisis.

A recent report released by the Ministry of Health shows that 4,000 underage schoolchildren became pregnant since April.

Emanikor says there are many unreported cases from different regions.

“It’s the responsibility of every parent to take care of their children. Children are supposed to stay at home and help their parents. They should not be allowed to do menial jobs in town to earn something, because this is the challenge that has contributed to teenage pregnancies in the county,” the MP says.

She warned parents against taking cash to settle cases of teenage pregnancies.

“Parents should desist from the habit of taking cash to settle the teenage pregnancies committed by old men outside the court. The future of our children has been battered, we should not take cash to settle the matter, let the victims be charged by the law,” she said.

Emanikor warned victims of teenage pregnancies against forging their birth certificates by changing their years to look like minors.

“We are aware of victims behind the teenage pregnancies from wealthy families are forging the birth certificate for the case to look like minors,” she said.

The MP urged area chiefs to spearhead the end of early and forced marriages.

Turkana county commissioner Wambua Muthama said chiefs and assistant chiefs who fail to report parents marrying off their teenage girls in exchange for wealth risk losing their jobs.

Muthama threatened to arrest the concerned parents and men found marrying teenage girls.