00:00In a landmark ruling, Kenya's High Court has declared that young people should no longer face criminal prosecution
00:06for consensual underage sexual relationships, a decision rights groups are calling a major victory for adolescent rights.
00:14The ruling came Wednesday after a case brought by the Centre for Reproductive Rights on behalf of three Kenyan teenagers.
00:21One of them, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested after police found him living with his 16-year-old
00:27partner
00:27and charged him with defilement.
00:30Another teenage couple faced years of legal battles after becoming pregnant while underage.
00:36Kenyan law currently prescribes up to 15 years in prison for sex with minors aged between 16 and 18,
00:42but the court ruled that authorities must now distinguish between abusive relationships
00:46and consensual relationships involving teenagers.
00:50Judges also ordered the government to improve access to sexual and reproductive health education
00:55and services without fear of criminalisation.
00:58rights campaigners say the previous system pushed many young people away from healthcare.
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