Incest a hidden driver as Bungoma records 33,000 teenage pregnancies in two years
Bungoma County has been in the spotlight because of its alarming teenage pregnancy prevalence. County data shows that about 33,000 teenage pregnancies have been recorded over the past two-and-a-half years. Incest has been cited as one of the drivers of the pregnancies.
What you need to know:
- Activists warn incest and sexual violence are quietly driving soaring teenage pregnancies in Bungoma County.
- Health officials and rights groups are battling against a triple threat facing vulnerable girls in Mount Elgon.
Irene Cherono* from Cheptais, Mt Elgon, was lured by a relative, who was a boda boda rider, with small gifts and necessities before she was sexually abused. The 17-year-old says the relative would occasionally give her and a friend free rides to and from school, something that did not raise suspicion.
“He would also give us sweets and small amounts of pocket money. We were happy and innocent and never imagined that, being a relative, he had any ill intentions. We were shocked when one morning, while taking us to school, he diverted into the forest and defiled us. He warned us that we would die if we reported him,” she tells the Nation.
Irene says she became concerned after missing her periods. A pregnancy test later confirmed her fears. “Even though the man was arrested and later charged in court, he destroyed my life because I had to pause my studies to carry the pregnancy and give birth. I was not ready to become a mother, and this has affected my studies even after returning to school.”
For the past few years, Bungoma County has been in the spotlight because of its alarming teenage pregnancy prevalence. County data shows that about 33,000 teenage pregnancies have been recorded over the past two-and-a-half years. County GBV Programmes Coordinator Janet Khisa says the number could be higher because the data captures only girls who sought antenatal care at health facilities.
Janet says that between January and May this year, county health facilities had already documented about 10,000 teenage pregnancies. According to the data, Kanduyi, Mt Elgon and Bumula are the leading hotspots for pregnancies involving girls aged 10 to 19.
Gender and human rights activists are alarmed by an emerging trend in which relatives are blamed for many of the pregnancies. Incest is increasingly becoming a hidden driver of teenage pregnancy. While poverty and lack of sex education remain major factors, local leaders and health administrators are raising concern over a surge in cases where girls are defiled by close relatives, including their biological fathers.
Janet blames drug and substance abuse for the rising cases of sexual violence, noting that the area has many illicit brewers and widespread bhang use. “We are witnessing many rape and defilement cases. Intimate partner violence is also contributing to the high number of sexual violence cases in Cheptais and Kopsiro.”
She says awareness campaigns are being conducted through local radio stations and male engagement forums involving elders and men. “We are developing a community referral tool for sexual violence cases. We are also training our officers in case management and holding community engagements through inter-gender and intergenerational dialogues to slay the sexual violence dragon.”
According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Bungoma recorded the highest prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence among girls and women in Kenya. The Kenya Economic Survey 2026, released last month, listed Bungoma among the 10 counties with the highest teenage pregnancy prevalence.
County Gender Director Ann Barasa identifies SGBV as a major threat, with Mt Elgon leading in prevalence. “Sexual abuse is almost culturally accepted here. Mt Elgon is leading all the other areas. Something needs to be done to tame the menace.”
Because of the high levels of sexual violence in Bungoma County, UN Women launched the Let It Not Happen Again initiative in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. It is implemented in collaboration with Physicians for Human Rights, the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness, and CSO Networks.
Antonia Sodonon, UN Women Kenya Country Representative, says the initiative has demonstrated that targeted investments in justice systems, institutional capacity and survivor empowerment can significantly strengthen responses to violence against women during elections.
“Across Bungoma, Kisumu and Vihiga counties, the initiative has contributed to tangible progress in advancing access to justice, strengthening accountability and supporting policy and institutional reforms, including the establishment of specialised gender-based violence courts,” she says.
She notes that sustaining these gains will require continued investment in prevention, stronger and harmonised data systems, and integrated support services, including economic and psychosocial support for survivors and service providers. “Building on these gains, we must scale up and reinforce these efforts to ensure that violence against women in elections truly does not happen again.”
Fabio Minniti, head of the Nairobi AICS office, says advancing gender equality and combating gender-based violence remain core priorities. He notes that the initiative has delivered concrete results, including policy reforms and improved service delivery at the local level.
Meaningful change
“We are proud to support a portfolio of initiatives that drive meaningful change in this sector. The ‘Let It Not Happen Again’ initiative stands out as one of the most impactful efforts within this portfolio, demonstrating how strategic interventions can strengthen justice institutions, expand access to services for GBV survivors and enhance community-level engagement.”
Bungoma County is currently working to combat soaring rates of sexual and gender-based violence and the “triple threat” of SGBV, teenage pregnancies and HIV infections. The county has partnered with international and local organisations to launch grassroots awareness campaigns and strengthen survivor support systems.
Key components of the strategy include community-led dialogues, where local leaders, cultural councils and women’s groups hold village forums aimed at dismantling harmful cultural norms that fuel gender-based violence. Working with health partners, the county has also strengthened health facilities to provide psychosocial support and timely medical care.
The county is also addressing sexual violence through the “Tutembee Pamoja” campaign, an ongoing initiative designed to promote behavioural and cultural change across communities. In 2024, a proposal by Governor Kenneth Lusaka to bar pregnant teenage girls from continuing with their studies sparked widespread outrage.
Governor Lusaka argued that such a law would encourage other girls to be “careful and responsible”. His remarks followed the discovery that 54 female students at St Aquinas Chesikaki Secondary School in Mt Elgon were pregnant. “The situation where teenage girls can return to school even while pregnant is contributing to the normalisation of this issue,” he was quoted as saying.
The governor cited poverty and lack of sanitary towels as major causes of teenage pregnancy in Bungoma. The national government, politicians and civil society groups condemned his remarks, terming them insensitive and unwarranted.
*Name changed to protect the identity of the girl.
