Kimilili lawmaker Didimus Barasa calls for stern punishment for sex predators
Kimilili lawmaker Didmus Barasa has spotlighted men who target schoolgirls for romantic affairs, proposing stringent punishments for predators.
Speaking at a bursary issuance event in Kapseret Constituency, where he and other lawmakers were invited by the area MP, Oscar Sudi, Mr Barasa cautioned men and urged Parliament to enact measures to protect schoolgirls.
In a light-hearted yet pointed remark, the outspoken legislator, aligned with the Kenya Kwanza government, urged men with an interest in schoolgirls to redirect their attention to their wives by purchasing school uniforms for them.
Kimilili, situated in Bungoma County, has implemented stringent measures to safeguard schoolgirls, according to Barasa.
“There are men with improper intentions eyeing schoolgirls. In Bungoma, we have declared that if a man in Kenya desires a school girl, he should take his wife to a uniform shop, buy her uniforms, and dress her,” Barasa quipped amidst laughter.
He added, “If you want to father twenty children with her over five years that is up to you”.
The lawmaker lamented the prevalence of pregnancies among schoolgirls during national examinations, such as the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
However, KCPE was phased out last year, 2023, with the introduction of the new education system, CBC.
“Data on teenage pregnancies during national exams, particularly in the Rift Valley region, has been alarming. If Rift Valley leads again in 2024, we will be compelled to introduce legislation punishing involved men,” the MP stressed.
Barasa also expressed concern that convicted culprits often return to society after serving prison terms.
“We must ensure that nobody in this country interferes with the future of our children. Their future lies in education, and we cannot allow predators to derail their lives,” he emphasized.
Teenage Pregnancy refers to pregnancy occurring in females aged between 13 to 19 years.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 21 million adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years and 2.5 million under the age of 16 years become pregnant annually worldwide.
In Kenya, 110,821 pregnancies were recorded among adolescents aged 10 to 19 in the first five months of 2023.
Data from the Kenya Health Information Systems shows that 6,110 pregnancies were among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years, while 104,711 were between 15 and 19 years old.
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