By Paul Watala

A total of nine girls in Tumboboi Primary School in Kaptanya sub-county, Kapchorwa district, have been tested and found pregnant.

“One pupil tipped me after a quarrel that her colleague was pregnant. I also called the senior woman teacher who arranged for a nurse to carry out pregnancy tests. Nine of our pupils tested positive,” the head teacher, Fred Mark Cherus, said.

Cherus said out of the nine girls, two of them had normal deliveries three weeks back despite the fact that they gave birth at home.

He said the girls who were found pregnant are aged between14 and 16 years and pupils of P6 and P7.

Cherus said those who gave birth have reported back to school to prepare for the final examinations but usually go home to breastfeed their babies during the lunch break.

Cherus said they had encouraged those that have not yet delivered to continue studying until they are due to deliver.

The Sebei sub-region girls’ education movement chairperson, Justine Yapsoyekwo, told New Vision that most schools in Kapchorwa were facing problems of early sex, marriage, forceful circumcision of girls, child labour and early pregnancies.