Narok county first lady, Agnes Ntutu has challenged women to be role models to their young girls in order to avert the retrogressive cultural practices that impact negatively on the girl child education in the county. The first lady observed that the county was among the leading counties in teenage pregnancies, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriages that compromise the education standards of girls in the area. She called on parents to spend quality time with their children, teaching them morals that will make them concentrate on their classwork and later become professionals. She was speaking at the Poroko area in Trans Mara West Sub County where she said that many girls in the county were highly talented but failed to achieve their potential because of the negative cultural practices. ‘I want to see more doctors, teachers, engineers among other professionals coming out of our young girls. They too have the potential of becoming important people in the society if they are given the right support,’ she said. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) ranked Narok county position four in teenage pregnancy at 28 per cent. This was way above the national average of 15 per cent. It is believed that FGM fuels early marriages and teenage pregnancy as girls are taught that once they have undergone the cut, they are mature enough to get married and have children. Mrs. Ntutu, who was born and brought up in the Maasai Culture said such practices are outdated as they have proved that they were not adding any value to the society but only undermining the girl child. At the same time, the first county lady asked the society not to hide children living with disability but instead asked them to register them with the National Council of Persons Living with Disability (NCPLWD) so that they can benefit from the stipends given by the government. She reiterated that some persons living with disability are very talented and can-do professional jobs that are challenging to most people. ‘Every child is a gift from God. No one knows the good plan that God has for your child. I request you not to hide children living with disabilities but expose them to the community so that they can exercise their talents,’ she said.

Source: Kenya News Agency