The rate of adolescent pregnancy in Kenya remains high at approximately 15 percent among girls aged 15 to 19 years, according to the latest national survey on family planning programmes, highlighting the country’s slow progress in addressing the problem.
The Ministry of Health reports that the rate stands at 14.9 percent, which is almost unchanged since the 2021 baseline.
This stagnation suggests that no measurable progress has been made since Kenya pledged to reduce the rate from 15 percent to 10 percent by 2025 as part of its FP2030 commitments. With only three months left to achieve this goal, it is highly unlikely that the country will meet its target.
The survey also reveals that 11 percent of adolescent girls in this age group have had a live birth, 14.9 percent have been pregnant at least once, and around 6 percent were pregnant at the time of the survey.
Rates of adolescent pregnancy vary significantly at the county level. Samburu has the highest prevalence at 50.1 per cent, followed by West Pokot (36.3 percent), Marsabit (29.4 percent), Narok (28.1 percent), Meru (23.6 percent) and Homa Bay (23.2 percent).
Conversely, counties with low rates include Nyeri (4.5 percent), Nyandarua (5.2 percent), Vihiga (7.7 percent), Nairobi (8.4 percent) and Bomet (9 percent).Â
While some counties have successfully kept their rates low, others exceed the national average, reflecting significant inequalities. High levels of adolescent pregnancy are linked to school dropout, early marriage and long-term socioeconomic disadvantages for girls, as well as increased risks to maternal and neonatal health.Â
Progress has been slow due to several barriers, including limited access to contraceptives due to stigma and restrictive cultural norms, as well as gaps in service delivery.
Socio-cultural pressures such as child marriage, gender inequality and economic hardship, especially in rural and low-income areas, continue to expose girls to early marriage or transactional relationships.
Additionally, the weak enforcement of laws designed to protect adolescents escalated the problem.
The number of adolescent pregnancies recorded at first antenatal care visits declined by 4.8 percent in 2024, with a total of 241,228 cases, according to the Economic Survey.
This is significantly lower than the figures for 2021 (316,187) and 2020 (331,549). Pregnancies among younger adolescents aged 10 to 14 decreased by 14.4 percent to 10,126, and among older teenagers aged 15 to 19 fell by 4.3 percent to 231,102.
The Kenya Demographic Health Information System recorded 110,821 adolescent pregnancies within the first five months of 2023, including 6,110 cases among girls aged 10 to 14 and 104,711 among those aged 15 to 19. Despite recent declines, these figures highlight the scale of the challenge.
