Parents in Kisumu County have been cautioned against administering contraceptives to minors.
Seme Sub County Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Elizabeth Owendi said even though teenage pregnancies in the area is a big concern, making minors to use contraceptives is against the law.

The DCC said some parents in the area were forcing their daughters to swallow pills or use other contraceptive methods.

This, Owendi said, was to blame for the high number of defilement cases in the sub-county, thus frustrating multi-agency efforts to protect children.

Speaking at Ratta Health Centre during World Contraceptive Day celebrations, the official said children believed to be on contraceptives were prone to attacks. Parents found culpable, he said, will face legal action.

“Any parent found to have forced their children to take contraceptives will face the force of the law. If we find you, we are going to treat you as an accomplice in the defilement cases,” she said.

According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of 2022, 11.1 per cent of girls aged 15–16 years in Kisumu have experienced pregnancy.

Owendi called for concerted efforts between parents, state agencies, and non-state agencies to address the challenge of teenage pregnancies.

Speaking at the same function, Kisumu County Executive Committee Member in charge of Medical Services, Public Health and Sanitation Gregory Ganda said the data on teenage pregnancies in the area was worrying.

The county government, he added, has this financial year set aside Sh4 million to support mother and child health at Ratta Health Centre, where most of the cases are handled.

Stakeholders, he added, must work out modalities to ensure that the affected teenagers have access to reproductive health services and continue with their education after delivering.