Three women arrested for aiding FGM
Youth and Gender CAS Rachel Shebesh addresses chiefs and sub chiefs in Tharaka Nithi County during an anti-FGM sensitization campaign. Despite this, the vice is still rampant in some regions with parents taking advantage of the Covid-19 school break to cut their daughters.
What you need to know:
- Three women arrested for helping five girls undergo female genital mutilation on Monday.
- Among those arrested are two parents identified as Joyce Koomu and Susan Ciorui as well as the circumciser, Doris Kagendo.
- Assistant Chief said this was the first incident of FGM in the area after years of suppressing the illegal practice.
Police in Ndoleli, Igembe North on Friday arrested three women for helping five girls undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) on Monday.
Also aiding in the investigations are three girls aged 15, 16 and 17, who were found to have already undergone the cut. Two others escaped the dragnet of the local Nyumba Kumi team.
Among those arrested are two parents identified as Joyce Koomu and Susan Ciorui as well as the circumciser, Doris Kagendo.
Face law
Ndoleli Assistant Chief Fredrick Michubu said another circumciser is still at large and was being hunted down to face the law.
Mr Michubu said the cut girls had disguised themselves and were going on with their usual house chores when they were arrested.
“We learnt from members of the public that some of the girls were circumcised in the area, while two others went to a different village on Monday. One is in Form Two while four others are in Class Five and Class Seven,” Mr Michubu said.
The administrator said this was the first incident of FGM in the area after years of suppressing the illegal practice.
FGM adherents
“The vice seems to have resurfaced after the long holiday occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are very alert to ensure such incidents do not recur in Ndoleli,” he said.
Administrators have intensified crackdowns on FGM adherents in Igembe North with three female circumcisers arrested this month.
The incident happened as anti-FGM movement, Men End FGM Foundation, kicked off the training of 20 men to spearhead the war on female genital cutting in Igembe North, Meru.
Men End FGM
Men End FGM founder Tony Mwebia said they intend to train male anti-FGM champions in 22 counties to aid in ending the vice by 2022.
“We want to build a movement of 440 men who will spearhead the war on FGM in the country. This is because most communities are patriarchal hence, men are key decision makers. Men can lead in making FGM unfashionable in areas where it is valued,” Mr Mwebia said.
Care Health Providers founder Catherine Thiakunu, who is also an anti-FGM activist called for partnerships among administrators and residents and grassroots organisations in the war against the vice.
