In Ruiru, Kiambu County, teachers and clergy members have united to tackle the increasing rates of teenage pregnancies and substance abuse.
Reports indicate that girls as young as 13 are dropping out of school due to pregnancy, while their peers in primary and secondary schools are engaging in alcohol and drug use.
In response, school heads and clergymen have established the Ruiru Sub County Schools Chaplaincy. This group, led by Deputy County Commissioner Margaret Mbugua, is dedicated to counseling both learners and the parents of troubled children.
Juliet Wahome, Principal of Ruiru Kihunguro Secondary School, highlighted that recent data reveals 30 percent of young girls in the area become pregnant at early ages, leading to school dropouts.
This data also shows that Ruiru ranks highest among the 14 sub-counties of Kiambu in teenage pregnancies, prompting the local administration under Ms. Mbugua to take corrective measures. Ms. Wahome noted the alarming trend of some girls risking their lives to obtain abortions and lamented that parental neglect is a contributing factor.
“There was a case where we nearly lost a girl who had gone to a chemist shop and bought drugs meant to terminate her pregnancy. But instead, on the following day she started bleeding profusely and we had to rush her to hospital to save her life,” said Ms Wahome.
She said some parents choose not to stay with their teenage children and get them into rental houses which often compromises their discipline.
Incidentally, Ms Wahome added, some close relatives including fathers have been linked to cases of sexual abuse of the young girls and appealed to the relevant agencies act decisively on offenders.
“We have had cases where people who impregnate school girls enter into negotiations with the victims’ parents and settle the matter out of court,” said the Principal.
Bishop Phineas Mwiti, the founder chairman of the group, attributed teenage pregnancies to poor parenting and alcoholism in some families.
He pointed out that some drunken parents neglect the welfare of their children. Since the initiative’s inception in 2022, approximately 80 pastors have been trained to conduct counseling sessions in schools, and the clergyman noted that the program is producing positive results.
