Elders alarmed by rising number of botched circumcisions
Pokot initiates in procession before graduating at Chepturo, Tiaty sub-county in Baringo County on January 23, 2016.
The National Council of Elders has expressed concern over the increasing number of botched traditional circumcisions.
Council leaders say quacks masquerading as circumcisers are causing more harm to children because they lack the necessary skills to perform the procedure.
Responding to the recent incident in North Rift where eight children died as a result of botched circumcision, they accused parents of using the services of unqualified quacks.
The National Chairman of the Council of Elders, retired Major John Seii, said the time had come for parents to entrust their children to people who are knowledgeable about health issues and the aftercare environment for new initiates.
“As we speak now, 10 children from this region have lost their lives due to botched circumcision. Time has come for us as a community to re-think traditional circumcision by entrusting our children with people with proper knowledge on health matters,” said Major Seii.
According to James Atsango, the chairman of the Luhya Council of Elders, there is a need for communities that practice circumcision to adopt a modern approach to prevent more deaths from botched circumcisions.
“The world is changing very fast and there is a need for traditional circumcisers to be [integrated with] the conventional circumcisers, [and] to be trained on modern techniques of conducting circumcision,” he said.
Mzee Atsango urged traditional circumcisers to upgrade their skills to meet modern hygiene standards.
Law regulating circumcision
He also called on parliament to pass a law regulating circumcision.
“Parliament must pass a law that will regulate circumcision in communities that value the practice,” said Atsango.
Mzee Edward Chepsiror, the chairman of the Council of Elders in Soy, Uasin Gishu County, added: "We support plans to come up with a law that will regulate circumcision to prevent more deaths of our children emanating from circumcision. Let there be a law that regularises even traditional circumcisions.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor John Barorot, who represented Governor Jonathan Bii during the celebrations and said that the health of boys undergoing the cut should not be compromised.
He said that those involved in the circumcision must have people who value and understand the health of the boys to avert further deaths.
Given first priority
“The health of our boys must be given first priority during circumcision. We should not give our children to people who don’t understand the dynamics of health matters,” said Barorot.
Following frequent cases of botched circumcisions performed in parts of the country, a debate has erupted over who should perform the procedure.
The leaders accuse quacks of taking advantage of gullible parents after opening unlicensed clinics where they offer cheap services.
They said there was a need to train traditional circumcisers to perform the procedure with utmost skill.
According to Atsango, if community norms are adhered to during circumcision, cases of botched circumcisions will be reduced.
He said that in his day, people who were trusted to perform circumcisions were honest and faithful, unlike today where quacks with commercial interests have hijacked the ritual.
“There are so many people who underwent various traditional initiation rites, and they can attest that there was nothing wrong with it,” Atsango said.
He said a law was needed to deal with quacks.
Surgical area
Dr Fredrick Kairithia, a Nairobi-based obstetrician and gynaecologist, said a practitioner should start the procedure by cleaning a patient's surgical area with iodine before injecting anaesthesia.
The doctor said there are several techniques used to perform the procedure, namely dorsal slit, shield and clamp, and excision.
The risks associated with circumcision, according to the specialist, are mental anguish and trauma if the pain is not controlled.
He added that bleeding is a complication, especially in boys with bleeding disorders.
Apart from bleeding and other opportunistic diseases associated with circumcision, there have been rare cases of a boy's penis being cut off.
"Circumcision takes an average of 30 minutes. It should never be complicated as long as the person performing it is a qualified practitioner," Dr Kairithia said.
Earlier this month, eight boys died after being circumcised in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, while more than 40 boys were admitted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital with various health complications due to botched circumcisions.
