Individuals who impregnate school girls in the country to face harsh punishment
The Kenya young parliamentarians led by Sabina Chege, who is the National Assembly Health Committee chairperson and Nairobi Senator Johnstone Sakaja said the perpetrators should be arrested and punished.
“We know those people who do this in the society. We should even come up with a law to castrate them. What business do you have with a young girl?” posed Chege.
Adding that those who prey on young girls should be castrated.
She faulted the decision by the Ministry of Education to form a task force to investigate the issue of teen pregnancies in school.
“Why do we need to form a task force to investigate the issue and we clearly know the perpetrators. Some families even go ahead and negotiate with the perpetrators at the chief’s office. As a country we must come up with tough laws,” said Chege.
Sakaja said it is embarrassing that 30 per cent of Kenyan girls get pregnant before their 19th birthday.
“Those people who are doing that (prey on young girls) are criminals. If you know of a person in the village who does that, we should have citizen arrest,” said Sakaja.
The legislators spoke on the sidelines of a meeting in Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel, where they had meeting on Universal Health Care Framework that will be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 1.
Sakaja, who is also the chairperson of Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association, said the UHC agenda should incorporate the youth, who are 70 per cent of Kenyan population.
The legislator said they will engage the Ministry of Health to make sure that youth agenda is incorporated in the UHC framework.
“We cannot have a conversation about the Universal Health Care, but the biggest population of a country is not participating. Youth must be involved in the framework,” he said.
He said the issue drug addiction, mental health and issues of early pregnancy are affecting majority of Kenyan youths.
“Mental health is a big problem in this country. Drugs are also a problem, UHC should have the youth to discuss on this problems,” said Sakaja.