According to Kirinyaga Central Sub-County Health Officer Kennedy Machora, around 12,000 out of the tested 16,000 students have tested positive for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
Machora was addressing parents of New Kerugoya Victory Academy over the weekend when he revealed that the medical staff working at the Sub-County health facilities where some students had gone to seek treatment were concerned after most of them tested positive.
“The situation necessitated an emergency meeting between the Ministry of Education, the local security team and the Ministry of Health through the Public Health Department to discuss how to carry out tests in schools,” said Machora.
He revealed that officials from the Ministry of Education had visited schools and had reached an agreement with school administrators to administer tests on all students.
According to Machora, there are concerns that many more students could be infected but are not aware of their status yet.
He said that the data was from January to June this year and that officials are still waiting for results from the months of July to December.
Machora said that investigations indicate that most students engage in unprotected sex during school closing and opening days.
He called on parents to monitor the movements of their children and ensure that their children attend church services.