Wamuzi News Ke
Busia County is reeling under a mounting crisis: 65,540 teenage pregnancies recorded between 2016 and 2024, sparking swift action by the Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA).
The figures, revealed during Senate Mashinani in Busia Town on October 6, have raised alarm among officials, health experts, parents, and community leaders. Officials warn Busia is teetering on the edge of a public health and social emergency — one that threatens education, wellbeing, and safety of an entire generation.
The surge in teen pregnancies is accompanied by rising HIV infections and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), creating what KEWOSA calls a “triple threat” that demands urgent national attention.
What the Data Shows.
From 2016 to 2024 Busia recorded 65,540 adolescent pregnancies, representing 28 per cent of all first antenatal care (ANC) visits among pregnant women in that period. HIV infections among adolescents aged 10-19 rose from 120 new cases in 2019 to 135 in 2024.
Approximately 2,400 young people in Busia are currently living with HIV. Reports of sexual and gender-based violence among adolescents grew sharply: from 66 cases in 2016 to 480 in 2024. Within that span, 171 pregnancies are tied to defilement of girls aged 10-17.
Poverty is pervasive: roughly 69.3 per cent of Busia’s residents live below the national poverty line — a condition that experts say exacerbates vulnerability among adolescents to exploitation, school dropouts, and risky behaviours.
Reaction and Immediate Interventions.
KEWOSA, under Senator Veronica Maina’s leadership, accelerated measures in response. These include:Awareness campaigns and school outreach (St. James Kwang’amor Secondary School, St. James Nasewa School among others), covering reproductive health, legal protections, adolescent safety.
Distribution of menstrual hygiene kits to girls and boxer shorts to boys to address dignity, health, and improve school attendance. Community dialogues involving county officials, police, judiciary, teenage mothers, religious leaders and civil society.
Reminder and education on the Sexual Offences Act, 2006 which criminalises sexual activity with minors and prescribes life imprisonment in specific defilement cases.
Why This Matters — What’s at Stake.
The data reveals more than numbers — it exposes risks that ripple through families, schools and communities:Education disruption: Teenage pregnancies correlate strongly with school dropout rates among girls.
Once pregnant, many girls never return to school, losing opportunities, earning potential, and future life outcomes.Health threats: Adolescent pregnancies can increase maternal and neonatal mortality, especially when health care access is poor.
Rising HIV rates compound these threats.Legal and social protection gaps: Cases of defilement reveal failures in safeguarding minors. The legal framework exists, but enforcement, reporting, and protection mechanisms remain weak.
Economic burden: With poverty already widespread, teen pregnancies increase the strain on households, health systems, and social services. More children born to underage mothers often miss their own chance for stable childhoods.
Urgent Call to Action: What Must Be Done.
Senators, county authorities, and community stakeholders have agreed: the response must be multi-sectoral, rapid and sustained. Proposed steps include:Scaling up reproductive health education and services in schools and communities.Strengthening legal enforcement against defilement and other sexual offences.
Improving access to health care, prenatal and postnatal care targeted at adolescents.Economic support for vulnerable families to reduce the push into risky behaviours.Community empowerment: involving religious leaders, youth activists, parents to shift norms and address stigma.
