Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu has decried the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the county, saying men found to have impregnated underage girls risk long jail terms in prison.
Irungu noted the county was among those with the highest cases of underage pregnancies, mostly witnessed by the pastoral communities.
Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations held at the Ol Moan Trading Centre, Irungu noted that the high number of underage pregnancies was giving a bad image to the county.
“You go to our maternity facilities, and you find young mothers who have given birth, some as young as nine to 13 years,” Governor Irungu said.
Irungu also spelt out his government’s achievements since taking office over a year ago, noting improvements in the health sector. He has seen the equipping of the Nyahururu Mother and Child Hospital to ease congestion at the maternity wing.
He added that plans were underway to put up a dispensary in every sub-location in the county, thus ensuring Universal Health Coverage for all residents.
The governor further revealed that his government had started supplying soya seeds to local farmers for planting as one way of changing the local perception that they could only grow maize.
Laikipia County Commissioner (CC) Joseph Kanyiri put on notice rustlers, whom he said were still terrorising locals, that the government would use all its machinery to curb the vice.
“The government will come after those illegal guns and deal ruthlessly with cattle rustlers; we cannot have a few guns in the wrong hands which these criminals are using to distract peace in the name of stock theft,” said the CC.
Many local politicians skipped the celebrations.
By Martin Munyi
