Samburu county records highest teenage pregnancy rate, survey shows

Samburu county has recorded the highest rate of teenage pregnancies as distributed in various counties across the country.

According to a survey dubbed Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) today, Samburu accounts for 50 per cent of pregnancies of girls aged between 15 to 19 years.

Marsabit is the second recording 29 per cent, West Pokot at 36 percent, Narok at 28 percent whereas Meru at 24 percent.

The report was broken into teenagers with no education at 38 percent, primary level at 20 percent and higher level of education at 5 percent.

According to KNBS, high fertility rates was observed among teenagers aged 15-19 saying they noticed a total of 73 births in every 1000 females, 83 births being in the rural areas and 56 in the urban areas.

The survey added that fifteen percent of women within this age group have ever been pregnant; 12 percent have had a live birth, 1 percent have had a pregnancy loss, and 3 percent are currently pregnant.

The survey also showed that women between the ages of 20 to 24 have the highest fertility rate in the country.

According to the survey, the total fertility rate is higher in the rural areas with 219 births and 138 births in the urban areas among every 1000 women.

Women in the 25-28 age bracket, showed a total of 172 births in every 1000 women of whom 200 are in the rural areas while 143 are in the urban zones.

The rate decreases in the 30-34 age group where 137 births in every 1000 women were recorded, with 150 in the rural areas and 121 in the urban areas.

Those in the 35-39 age group have a less fertility rate as 87 births per 1000 women were recorded with 76 in the urban areas and 94 in the urban areas.

Women between ages 40-44 and those within the 45-49 age group recorded a birth rate of 35 and 5 respectively.