Health authorities have raised the alarm over high teenage pregnancy rates in Siaya County, revealing that 18.2 percent of pregnancies in the region involve girls aged between 10 and 19. 

​Principal Secretary for Health Services Ouma Oluga announced the figures during a food distribution drive for vulnerable candidates sitting national examinations, highlighting a case where a 16-year-old candidate sitting for her exams was forced to do so from a hospital bed after delivering twins. 

​While noting a drop from 21 percent recorded two years ago, PS Oluga stressed that the current rate remains unacceptable and must be driven down to zero. 

He noted that nationally, over 250,000 young girls are denied educational opportunities because adults impregnate them. 

​Under the presidential EWENE (Every Woman, Every Newborn Everywhere) agenda, the national government has deployed over KES 1 billion to support affected teenagers by covering hospital bills, sanitary provisions, and recovery costs to help them return to learning. 

Oluga issued a stern warning against family members and community leaders who hide perpetrators from the law due to “family shame”. 

​Addressing 765 institutional heads in the county, Oluga challenged educators and local leaders to safeguard student welfare, stating that perpetrators within the education sector and society must face the full force of the law. 

​The event, which also centered on candidate welfare during the examination period, was co-led by Director of Education Rev. Dr. Francis Shikanda and Deputy County Commissioner Robert Ng’etich.

The leaders underscored the importance of food security in maintaining student concentration, urging school managers to ensure that government-supplied food relief reaches vulnerable candidates safely.