Kajiado Faces Surge in Child Neglect and Teen Pregnancies as Officials Sound Alarm
The Kajiado County children’s department has raised serious concern over a sharp rise in cases of child neglect, teenage pregnancies, early marriages, sexual exploitation and drug abuse involving minors. According to officials, the situation has reached an alarming level, prompting urgent calls for coordinated action from parents, community leaders and government agencies. County Children’s Coordinator Anne Kang’ethe revealed that more than 5,000 cases of child rights violations were documented in the 2024/2025 reporting period, signalling a deepening social crisis that continues to endanger young people across the county.
Kang’ethe outlined detailed figures showing the scale of the problem, with child neglect forming the bulk of the reported cases at 3,753, followed by child abandonment at 162. Other incidents included custody disputes, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, sexual assault, cases of child labour and reports of female genital mutilation. She noted that although some numbers appear low, the true situation is likely far worse because many cases go unreported due to fear, stigma and lack of awareness among families and communities. During recent school visits, her team encountered disturbing trends, including classes where the majority of girls were pregnant, with some schools recording more than 30 cases each.
The rising number of teenage pregnancies has had devastating consequences, including the deaths of two girls who attempted unsafe abortions. The increasing normalization of teen pregnancy, including reports of baby showers inside school dormitories, has shocked local authorities. Officials are also concerned about the involvement of minors in commercial sex work, especially in urban centres, where children are being lured into sex trade networks. At the same time, rising drug use among school-age children is pushing some into criminal gangs, further exposing them to violence and exploitation.
County officials are calling for a multi-agency response involving parents, teachers, religious leaders, security agencies and local administrators to tackle the crisis. Kang’ethe emphasized the need for widespread community sensitization, stronger reproductive health education, stricter protection against child exploitation and expanded psychosocial support for affected minors. The children’s department is expected to scale up outreach initiatives across schools and villages in the coming months, with a focus on awareness campaigns, early detection of at-risk children and strengthened collaboration with welfare groups. Authorities hope that sustained intervention will reverse the worrying trends and create a safer, more supportive environment for children in Kajiado.