Bungoma County has introduced a pilot mentorship program at St. Thomas Aquinas High School aimed at addressing the rising rates of teenage pregnancy, a major public health and socio-economic concern. The initiative seeks to support adolescents in making informed decisions about sexual and reproductive health, while also providing guidance on education and personal development. Teenage pregnancy continues to threaten national development goals due to its links with high maternal and child morbidity, school dropouts, and limited future employment opportunities.
The program aligns with the commitments of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) Nairobi Summit to eliminate teenage pregnancies, new adolescent HIV infections, and harmful practices such as child marriage by 2030. While Kenya has recorded a national decline in teenage motherhood of over three percentage points between 2014 and 2022, Bungoma County has experienced a worrying increase, with teenage pregnancy rates rising from 14.4% in 2014 to 19% in 2022. In some instances, single schools reported up to 54 girls affected, highlighting the urgency for targeted interventions at the county level.
Through mentorship, students receive education on reproductive health, gender-based violence prevention, and personal goal setting, while also benefiting from the guidance of trained mentors and health educators. County officials hope the pilot program will serve as a model for broader replication across schools in Bungoma, equipping adolescents with the knowledge and skills to reduce teenage pregnancies, stay in school, and pursue meaningful opportunities for the future.