Gathoni Wamuchomba has spoken about the news of 18 women police recruits who were removed from Kiganjo Police Training College because they became pregnant. She said this news is very painful and very sad to hear.
She said that sending them away from training is not the right thing to do. According to her, the better way is to give them deferment. This means the girls should be allowed to pause their training, and then come back later when they are ready after giving birth.
She explained that getting pregnant is not a crime. It is something natural that can happen in life. She even said it is a blessing, and nobody should be punished for it in such a harsh way. She feels these young women still deserve respect and another chance in life.
She added that these women were already selected and already had dreams of joining the police service. So instead of destroying their dreams, the police leaders should help them hold their places until they are able to continue training again.
She also said that even young girls who get pregnant while still in school are sometimes given a second chance to continue their education. So the same kindness and understanding should also be given to police recruits.
She has written and requested that the police in charge should issue deferment letters to these women. This will make sure their slots are not lost and they can return later to complete their training.
She also called on Kipchumba Murkomen to step in and help solve this matter. She believes his intervention can bring fairness and help the women get justice.
She also called on KEWOPA, Martha Karua, UN Women Watch and other rights groups to support the women recruits.
She said every woman and every Kenyan who cares about fairness should stand with these girls. She believes they should not lose their future because of pregnancy, but instead be supported to come back and finish their training later.