Matilda Sakwa, the Director General at the Kenya National Youth Service (NYS) has raised concern over increasing cases of pregnancy among service women at the National Youth Service Training centres.
Sakwa who was speaking during the NYS Athletics Championship 3rd Edition held at Turbo NYS Training College stated that despite the achievements displayed by the service women, the rate of pregnancy among them was disturbing and needed immediate attention.
The DG directed commanding officers in all NYS colleges to interrogate and evaluate the existing management and embrace strategies that help control the pregnancy menace.
“I want to urge our commanding officers to interrogate and evaluate management styles in order to come up with working solutions,” Sakwa said.
Sakwa blamed too many trips by service women outside their colleges to seek medication as one of the possible loopholes that should be looked at.
“I wonder why our service women do not use protection if they find it inevitable to engage in sexual activities," she added.
The DG noted that there were very many dangerous effects associated with unprotected sex insisting they will not shy away from talking about it.
“Other than unwanted pregnancies, we have HIV/Aids, Syphilis and other STIs,” Sakwa warned the NYS competing teams drawn from Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, Rift Valley and Western Regions.
She further asked the competing teams to protect their bodies because the country and the entire world still needed their services.
“I always find it disturbing whenever service women are compelled to separate from service on account of pregnancy more so when they are in the last stages of their training,” she said.
Sakwa also revealed that cases of drug abuse were finding their way into NYS colleges. She directed commanding officers in charge of colleges to ensure service women and men were protected from drugs.
Further, the DG pleaded with the NYS management colleges to uphold the highest standards of discipline.
Sakwa however promised to promote exceptional talents displayed by athletes to national and even international levels.
She pledged that from NYS Athletics committee will align their sports calendar with the Kenya Athletics Association from January next year so that exceptional talents can be tested.
Sakwa praised NYS teams for their remarkable performances at different national sports games across the country.
The DG said sports had brought unity and tolerance among different ethnic groups and religious organisations in the country.
