President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday raised an alarm over the rising number of single parents in the country.
Speaking while delivering his speech during the 59th Madaraka Day celebrations, the President said that the trend was a threat to the country's traditional values.
The Head of State maintained that the number of single parents rose from 25.1 percent in the 2009 census to 38.2 percent in the 2019 census.
“Equally important to highlight is the threat to our traditional values and the family as the basic unit of our society. The evolving face of the Kenyan family is characterized in the 2019 national census where families headed by single parents rose from 25.1% in 2009 to 38.2% in 2019,” the President said.
President Kenyatta further said that if the current trend was not checked, it would destroy the fundamental character of Kenya.
“If unchecked, this trend shall destroy the fundamental character of Kenya and reap untold harm onto our most vulnerable and precious members of society; our Children,” he added.
The Head of State went on to call upon religious leaders, community elders, the media and concerned government agencies to step up and make sure that the Kenyan Family remains the strong and respected institution that it has historically been.
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