Former NTV Swahili news anchor Doreen Majala has waded into the raging debate about teenage pregnancies.
Through her post on Twitter, Majala blamed the situation on lack of mentorship.
“My two cents on increased cases of Teenage Pregnancies: In as much as we point out Sociocultural, Economic and Environmental factors, our girls lack mentorship. We need community sensitization, comprehensive sexuality education and more enrollment of girls in schools,” she tweeted.
My two cents on increased cases of Teenage Pregnancies: In as much as we point out Sociocultural, Economic and Environmental factors, our girls lack mentorship. We need community sensitization, comprehensive sexuality education and more enrollment of girls in schools. [THREAD]
— Doreen Majala (@doreenmajala) June 19, 2020
She added that young girls undergo many challenges ranging from curiosity, low self-esteem, substance abuse, inability to resist sexual temptations and cell phone usage.
Teenage pregnancy has been the flavour of the month after a report was released showing the shocking numbers of teenagers who got pregnant between March and May of 2020.
In Machakos alone, 4,000 teenage girls are said to have become pregnant in the period under review.
The abusers are mainly close relatives and people known and trusted by the minors, who include biological fathers, stepfather, uncles and guardians, among others.
Sexual Offences Act provides that a person below 18 years cannot consent to sex.
It provides a punishment of life imprisonment for anyone who defiles a minor below the age of 12, and 15 years or more if the girl is between 13 and 18 years.