Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu has reiterated that his administration will not tolerate culprits of early marriages, teenage pregnancy and Female Genital mutilation (FGM) as these retrogressive cultural practices are pulling the society behind.
He spoke at Olkenyei area in Narok West Sub County where he asked the community to embrace modernity and take their girls to school so that they can gain knowledge that will help them develop the society.
Ntutu said his administration had issued a bursary worth Sh450 million for the current financial year that was meant to support the vulnerable children in the society.
The county government, he said, prioritizes investing in education for a bright future and to improve development in the area.
“We are one of the leading counties in bursary allocation in the country. This is because we treasure education and know that it will unlock many hidden talents, which will translate to boosting the livelihood of our people,” he continued.
He continued, in order to compete with the modern world, education is a must. We cannot continue marrying off our girls at teenage age and expect them to compete with girls from other counties.”.
Ntutu warned parents who will be involved in subjecting their girls to the illegal cultural practices that they will be arrested, prosecuted in court of law to face the full force of the law.
“You should take care of your children during this holiday season. All children should report back to school after the holiday. Any parent who will hold their children at home will be arrested,” he warned.
At the same time, Ntutu asked the community to embrace the elders in the society and offer them the necessary support so that they can leave a blessing in the society.
His sentiments come at a time when Narok county is earmarked for numerous cases of teenage pregnancy and FGM that have compromised the education of girl child.
In 2022, the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) ranked the county position four (4) in FGM at 28 percent.
The ministry of Education in the county has also raised concerns over the high number of girls who drop out of school after falling pregnant at an early age.
The vice has contributed to high illiteracy levels in the county with the County Development Profile indicating that only 31 percent of Narok women are literate.
By Ann Salaton
