Compassion must not mean complacency in the teenage pregnancy crisis

When Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale recently announced that the government, through the Social Health Authority (SHA), would cater for delivery costs of all teenage mothers, it sounded like good news. After all, no girl deserves to risk her life or that of her baby because she cannot afford medical care. But behind that compassionate tone lies a painful contradiction. Such a statement, if left unqualified, risks being interpreted as the government normalizing, even indirectly promoting teenage pregnancies.

Teenage pregnancy is not just a private matter affecting a few families. It is a national crisis silently eroding the dreams of thousands of girls. Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey shows that one in every five adolescent girls between 15–19 years has begun childbearing. Behind every figure is a lost opportunity, a girl who drops out of school, a family that sinks deeper into poverty, and a community robbed of future leaders, innovators, and professionals.

Let’s be honest, offering free delivery is addressing the symptom of the problem, not the root cause. It is like constantly mopping water from a leaking roof without ever fixing the hole. Yes, teenage mothers need safe delivery. But unless we confront the deeper issues driving these pregnancies, the numbers will only grow.

The roots are clear and close to home. Poverty drives many girls into transactional relationships with older men. Broken family structures deny teenagers the guidance they desperately need. Peer pressure, social media influence, and lack of life skills leave many vulnerable. And then there is the elephant in the room, sexual predators who defile underage girls and are shielded by silence, stigma, or corrupt “negotiations” settled outside court.

So what message do we send when we emphasize free delivery for teen mothers, but stay largely quiet on the men who impregnate them? Where is the equal boldness in arresting and prosecuting culprits? Where is the commitment to empowering boys to take responsibility, rather than making girls bear the brunt alone?

As a citizen ,my concern is, if teenage girls hear that the government will step in to cover their delivery bills, some may see less reason to fear the consequences of an early pregnancy. It dulls the urgency of prevention. This is not the message our youth need. What they need is guidance, mentorship, and opportunity.

Imagine if the same government energy went into school-based mentorship clubs, youth-friendly health services, and community awareness campaigns. Imagine if we invested more in parents, helping them openly talk to their children about sexuality, values, and choices without shame. Imagine if village elders, teachers, and religious leaders collectively declared zero tolerance for teenage pregnancies. Prevention is not only cheaper; it saves lives, dreams, and futures.

Let’s also flip the script. Too often, conversations on teenage pregnancy focus only on the girls. But boys must be part of the solution. They too need mentorship on respect, responsibility, and consequences. After all, pregnancy does not happen in isolation.

Compassion for teenage mothers is non-negotiable. They are already carrying a heavy burden, and they deserve dignity, care, and support. But compassion must never slide into complacency. We must fight teenage pregnancy as the national crisis it is, with bold policies, strong law enforcement, and community-driven prevention.

Kenya cannot afford to keep normalizing what should alarm us. Every teenage pregnancy is not just a personal tragedy, it is a national failure. If we are truly serious about safeguarding the future, then our leaders must send a loud, clear, and unambiguous message: PREVENTION FIRST, PREVENTION ALWAYS.

It is high time we stopped teenage pregnancies, not just managing them after the damage is done.

By Sebastian Karani Asava