At Rafiki Village in Trans Nzoia County, we meet Jennifer, a 14-year-old Standard Four pupil at a local primary school busy doing her daily chores.
Jennifer, whose real name we have concealed to protect her identity, admits to having been defiled many times by her stepfather. Her mother remarried to the stepdad after separating from her biological father.
“When my mother is not around, my stepfather defiles me and warns me never to tell anybody,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer further explains how she got pregnant for her stepfather. “At some point, I fell sick. I went to the hospital where doctors found out that I was six months pregnant.”
Jennifer’s case is not isolated. In Kitale Ndogo village, we meet Christine whose story is not different from Jennifer’s.
Christine explains that she was left in the custody of her grandfather when her single mother died. She says she was consequently forced to live in the same compound with her uncles.
“The death of my mother forced me to live in my grandfather’s house. My uncles took advantage of me,” Christine said.
Shortly after, she realized she was pregnant.
Trans Nzoia’s Children’s department has decried the increase in incest cases in the county citing poverty and drug abuse as the main causes of the vice.
“We are working with the local authorities to curb this increase that is threatening families in Trans Nzoia,” director Aston Maungu said.
