Mothers in Boni areas have been put on the spot for giving out their daughters to sex predators in exchange for miraa and muguka.
This has seen many of the school girls ending up pregnant for men as old as 60 years.
The recent incident is that of Mswakini Village within Bar’goni in Hindi Division in Lamu West where a 16-year-old class six girl gave birth after she was sold off by her mother to a 59-year-old fisherman in return for miraa and other financial favours.
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Speaking to journalists in Mswakini Village, Community Women Leader Nana Abuli cited poverty and illiteracy among the Boni minority community members as the leading cause of pupil pregnancies in the area.
Mrs Abuli faulted the mothers for being at the forefront in orchestrating early marriages and teenage pregnancies within Boni villages as they have openly been allowing their children to engage in sex provided, they get financial benefits and food items.
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“You can imagine a class five or six girl engaging in sex and the mother knows but she can’t speak. The mothers here just focus on the material things they receive from the sex predators. Once they’re given several bunches of miraa or muguka and kilos of sugar by the predators, they just remain silent and their daughters continue to be used by the culprits. Our husbands here are working hard to ensure the families are comfortable, including ensuring children; especially the girls get an education. It’s unfortunate that the mothers here are a letdown. They entertain promiscuity among their girls,” said Mrs Abuli.
Pastor Eliud Sangu who is the Chairman of Education among the Boni community in Bar’goni Village said men have been taking advantage of the community’s lack of exposure to impregnate school girls and go scot-free.
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Mr Sangu called for an urgent sensitization campaign to be launched in the area in order to save the future of education for the Boni girls.
“Men who engage in sex with school girls here in Boni villages always say they will marry them as even the parents know it. That means lack of exposure and illiteracy among Boni members is a problem. They aren’t even aware of the children’s act. There’s a need for a special sensitization campaign to be conducted in this place in order to save the girl-child education,” said Mr Sangu.
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Hindi Division Women for Change Group Secretary Damaris Luwali said her office had seen a significant increase in girls resorting to transactional sex, a situation that has subsequently elevated teenage pregnancies, especially in Hindi Division in recent days.
Ms Luwali said young girls of between 15 and 16 years were indeed being used as a source of income by some of their mothers.
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“The high poverty level here in Hindi has forced mothers to use their daughters as a source of income. They know very well that their girls are involved in sexual relations with fishermen, contractors, boda boda operators among others but they can’t face them and address the issue because of the little cash that their girls are getting to feed their families,” said Ms Luwali.
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