Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara has expressed serious concern over the increasing incidents of defilement and early pregnancies among girls in Kuresoi North and Kuresoi South. Speaking in Keringet, Kibaara lamented that older men are exploiting innocent girls.
“We are troubled by the rising number of teenage pregnancies in these constituencies. It’s a disgrace that our girls are being taken advantage of by older men,” he stated. Kibaara highlighted that this trend threatens the moral fabric of society and emphasized the need for collective responsibility to combat the issue. “The men who should be fighting this vice are the ones at the center of it. What has happened to our morals? From whom will the young boys learn?” he questioned.
Kibaara further noted that early pregnancies jeopardize the futures of these girls, forcing many to drop out of school to care for their children. “We must work together to ensure that girls remain in school. To raise literacy levels, we must provide equal opportunities for both genders to pursue education,” he urged.
The administrator noted that despite the high cases of defilement being reported with several arrests made, ensuring justice for the girls has been a challenge.
Kibaara regretted that out-of-court settlements had led to the collapse of many cases.
“We have been seeing witnesses vanishing, failing or declining to testify. After follow-up, we find out that they were prevailed upon by people close to the suspects,” he said.
He said kangaroo courts were a threat to the quest for justice for the teenagers and warned chiefs and elders against mediating such cases.
“Cases involving minors being defiled or impregnated should never be settled out of court. We shall now be going after those involved in mediation including chiefs,” he said.
Area MP Joseph Tonui said that the vice goes against the culture of the local communities and has brought shame to the society.
“We have different communities living here but none of them cordons such behaviour. It is through such acts that we end up having our girls killed over illicit relationships,” said Tonui.
The MP called for urgent meeting bringing together elders and administrators to forge a way forward in the fight against defilement and teenage pregnancy.
“We are talking about things happening under our watch. Not any further. We must agree that this is a threat that must be cut to size before we lose a generation to immoral behavior,” said Tonui.
