Parents fined 100 head of cattle for minors caught in sex act

Elders in Kipini, Tana Delta, have fined two parents 50 heads of cattle each after their children aged 15 and 17 were found to have committed fornication.

Fornication, the act of having sex with somebody that you are not married to, is considered sin both in the Bible and the Quran and it is strictly prohibited in the Muslim faith.

Consequently, the Galjel, a sub-tribe of the Somali community, has formulated tough rules and prescribed harsh fines for offenders in a bid to rein in the misdemeanour.

And on Wednesday, Mr Said Athman and Mr Mohammed Farah, both Muslims, were penalised for the sins of their children after the council of elders ruled that they had failed in their parental roles.

According to the elders, the act was not just sinful and prohibited in the community, but had also defiled the Holy Month of prayer hence deserving of the penalty.

They noted that residents had incessantly raised issues with conduct of the children with their respective parents but the latter protested and defended the minors.

In their reports, the locals had complained that the children appeared extremely cordial and close.

"It is a habit that the children have been practising, some of the relatives even told the parents about it but they deliberately turned a blind eye," said Ramadhan Ishmail, an elder.

The elders noted that it took the intervention of some elders and local youth to catch the two in the act on Monday.

The two minors were caught in a palm plantation where they had branched to after school.

The parents were summoned to explain the character of their children, followed by physical disciplinary action against the minors.

"We had to give them 20 strokes of the cane each, as well as subject them to counselling by chosen elders," said Mr Ishmail.

To add to the penalty, the parents were directed to send their children to boarding schools far apart for two years.

Failure to obey the directives will lead to the family being banished from the community.

"We have seen enough fruits of promiscuity in our community, all it adds are early marriages, child pregnancies, and child marriages hence poverty," said Sadiq Salat, an elder.

Meanwhile, the penalised parents have appealed the penalty, terming it too harsh.

"We admit that our children misbehaved but from where I stand, I don't even know how I'm going to get the 50 heads of cattle, "said Mr Farah.

Nevertheless, Mr Sadiq Salat, an elder, noted that the two may alternatively be forced to work as labourers on local farms for seven years on top of paying five heads of cattle.

The cattle fine is among many others the Galjel elders put in place to address social injustices and misconduct.

Vices penalised by the elders include child marriage, adultery, theft, witchcraft, and other forms of indecency.

The elders say the regulations can help the community that has lagged behind in development due retrogressive cultural practices rise academically and get its rightful share of the national cake.

The Galjel are settled in Garsen, Minjila, and parts of Bangale in Tana Delta and their main economic activity is pastoralism.

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