The Ministry of Education has announced the creation of a special unit to confront rising cases of teenage pregnancies in schools and incidents of sexual abuse involving teachers. This follows growing concern from lawmakers over the protection of learners and the effectiveness of current measures.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba made the announcement after appearing before the Senate Education Committee in Mombasa.
Tuesday's session was chaired by nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, who raised alarm over the scale of the problem and called for stronger action to protect students.
She urged the ministry to address not only teenage pregnancy but also the increasing reports of sexual exploitation of both girls and boys in learning institutions.
Mumma further criticised the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for transferring teachers accused of defilement to other schools instead of ensuring they face legal consequences.
“We are killing our girls. And it's not just girls; we are also killing the boys. A lot of sodomy is happening. All teachers involved in defilement of students should never be transferred to other schools. That is happening, yet chances of them repeating the same offence are high,” she said.
She stressed the seriousness of the situation by citing figures from her constituency, Nyakach, where 3,816 cases of teenage pregnancy were reported in 2023. Among the affected were learners aged between 10 and 14 years.
TSC Director for Legal, Labour and Industrial Relations Cavin Anyuor revealed that since January 2024, the commission has received 111 reports of sexual misconduct involving teachers. The complaints range from sexual relations with learners to harassment, flirtation and sodomy. He said these cases are handled through the Code of Regulations for Teachers.
“When a teacher is found guilty, he or she is dismissed and deregistered,” Anyuor told the committee.
Out of the 111 cases, 69 teachers were dismissed and struck off the register. However, he admitted that there is no evidence to show that any of them were prosecuted in court. He added that deregistered teachers are barred from teaching anywhere in the world since their licences have been permanently revoked.
Nine other teachers were dismissed but their licences were not revoked, 25 were suspended, four were cleared after being found innocent, and three cases were closed after the accused teachers died before disciplinary hearings.
Anyuor also outlined the reporting channels available for members of the public and school officials. He said misconduct can be reported to the TSC secretary, county directors, heads of institutions, boards of management, or law enforcement agencies. Such cases should be reported within 24 hours, and failure to do so amounts to an offence.
“There is a free hotline for reporting cases of sexual abuse. We also have a public email where anonymous reports can be made,” he said.
CS Ogamba admitted that teenage pregnancy and the introduction of sex education in schools remain a “hot potato” topic. Senator Betty Montet noted that the debate around sex education has dragged on for years because religious groups have yet to agree on what content should be included in the curriculum.