Breaking the Silence: Hon. Benard Adala’s Call for Justice for Abused Teenagers

Breaking the Silence: Hon. Benard Adala’s Call for Justice for Abused Teenagers

By MAXIMILLA Wyafula

Health Reporter, The County Diary News

In the heart of Nairobi, at the serene and elegant Pideinn Luxury Boutique Hotel, leaders, gender advocates, and government representatives from across the region gathered for a critical conversation—one that Kenya, and indeed the continent, can no longer afford to ignore. The panel discussion, which centered on engaging men and boys in promoting gender justice and ending violence against women and girls, brought to light the continuum of violence through the voices of male allies.

Among the speakers who moved the room was Hon. Benard Adala, Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Siaya County. Calm yet resolute, Hon. Adala delivered a sobering address that cut through the data to expose a harsh reality faced by some of Kenya’s most vulnerable youth: teenage girls.

“The statistics I’m about to share were collected in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he began. “About 6,650 teenage pregnancies were recorded. Out of those, only 75 cases were reported.”

A heavy silence followed.

“Of the 75 reported cases,” he continued, “only seven were concluded.”

Then came the hard truth. “If you have sex with a young girl, it’s an offence. Here in Kenya, you should be arrested.” Yet, he emphasized, the gap between law and enforcement remains dangerously wide. “I asked myself—what is the fate of those who never reported? What happened to these girls?”

Hon. Adala reflected on the painful reality that many of these victims likely never returned to school. Their trauma—unspoken and unhealed—may have pushed them further into cycles of vulnerability and poverty. “Then I thought about the vicious cycle of unemployment,” he added, linking personal tragedy to larger systemic failure.

For Hon. Adala, this is more than a lapse in policy—it is a humanitarian crisis. “We need to enact a law,” he urged. “A law that protects the interests of girls and women, accelerates justice, and ensures proper funding to support survivors.”

His remarks were more than statistics—they were a heartfelt plea. A call to action for leaders, advocates, and citizens to stand up for the silenced victims—especially young girls—who are often abandoned by the very systems meant to protect them.

As the session continued, Hon. Adala’s words lingered, echoing a powerful truth: until justice reaches the most forgotten among us, the battle against gender-based violence is far from won.

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