21 February 2023

• Kenyans say denying teenager condoms will increase the number of HIV/AIDS infections.

Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has said that she will not give condoms to underage Kenyans.

According to her, these teens should be taught about abstinence.

“I am Mama Kanisa (a church woman), therefore number one is abstinence; that we teach our youth, our adolescents to abstain.

Where they cannot abstain, then, of course, condoms have been said as one of the ways to use protection. But I believe with firm Christian foundations that our adolescents should be able to abstain,” the CS said.

Nakhumicha was speaking during the joint African Union Development Agency – PEPFAR briefing commemorating 20 years of partnership to End HIV/AIDS as a public health threat in Africa and across the globe.

Kenyans feel that not giving teenagers condoms will not stop them from having pre-marital sex.

Check out some of their opinions below

@iam_mutheu: Lol...so you think they all abstain? It's good to teach them about protection when they're still young. Ndio mtu akifanya mistake asiseme hakujua. Smh.

@NjokiRene: I agree with nakhumincha, the truth though Is that they're not abstaining, this is such a different era from the one we grew up in,teens need free pads not condoms!

@Gnrsnr_Zackvy: And how is this helpful? I thought the said prevention is better than cure! We have sexual contents everyone done by almost everyone, how will that be controlled nah, from my POV idt this is the right way to approach this.

@Msupa_A: This is like telling thieves to stop stealing as a solution to theft.

@EOranga: You are the CS for Health, not the nation's chief moralist. Your role is to ensure ALL citizens remain healthy wherever and whoever they are. You should commit to use ALL the tools at your disposal to achieve that. Leave moral arguments where they belong.

@crankberrie: Well, don't criticize them when the rate of STDs goes way up. Coz is definitely risking their lives. And yes, sanitary pads are more important. Gov't free condoms are of poor quality anyway.

@Otienog3: At what age did the CS start having sx , abstaining isn't easy but some factors push people to abstain.

@ChaunAbraham: She should leave this to our moral leaders. Her major work is to ensure the population is healthy and have access to better health services.

@Erickmwangiii: My goodness, if such people are the ones in charge of government with the thinking of gashagua, Kenyans I'm afraid I have some very bad news, we are officially doomed. Good luck to everyone.