Parents in Nandi have been urged to provide the necessary advise to their children and ensure they are busy at home by giving them chores like farm work as the extended home stay brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic drags on.
Nandi Health CEC Ruth Koech stated that the extended home stay has contributed to the rise in teenage pregnancies, with 3,400 such cases reported in Nandi. She said the number is high because children are sexually active and involved, and have lots of free time, “Through the new media, teenagers are able to chat without their parents’ knowledge, putting in practice exactly what they go through in social media platforms,” Koech added.
She said giving them chores like farm work keeps them busy. The CEC has also asked parents of the impregnated girls to take responsibility and support their kids, noting that they need the support to continue with their education.