Terekeka bans night dances over teenage pregnancy and school attendance concerns

The Caretaker Commissioner of Terekeka County has banned nighttime traditional dances citing concerns over declining school attendance and alleged teenage pregnancies in Terekeka town.

Speaking to Eye Radio this afternoon, Commissioner Abraham Kenyi John said the ban applies only to nighttime traditional dances, while other cultural activities, including traditional wrestling and daytime events, remain permitted.

“There’s no traditional dance that can’t be danced in the night, but the traditional wrestling and other things around Terekeka during the day, I didn’t ban. Only night traditional dance,” he said.

Kenyi said the dances, which reportedly run from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m., have raised concerns about students neglecting their education and attending school less regularly.

He also linked the nighttime gatherings to shop break-ins in the town, saying authorities had not established the identities of those responsible.

The commissioner further claimed that 52 cases of teenage pregnancies involving underage girls had been recorded in connection with the nighttime dances.

Kenyi said the ban would remain in force as he assessed its impact on the community.

He added that the order could be reviewed if community leaders agreed on a schedule for the dances and improvements were observed in the town.

“There’s no future of dance, but our future is education. Now, if our education is weak while we are focusing on something that has no future, will it take us forward? That’s why I issued this local order,” he added.

Kenyi urged young people in Terekeka County to comply with the order and prioritise education, saying the future of nighttime traditional dances would depend on changes within the community.