New school calendar to disrupt circumcision, say elders

Circumcision ceremonies in various communities scheduled for November and December this year will have to be suspended as the new school calendar now runs up to Christmas eve.

This means that boys from various communities, including the Kalenjin, Luhya, Kisii and Kikuyu, may not undergo the rite this year.

The rite of passage usually takes place every year between November and December targeting boys transitioning to secondary school.

However, following the announcement by Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha that Grade 4, Class 8 and Form 4 candidates will report to school on Monday, elders have now warned that the ceremonies may be called off.

"This year several boys, especially those in Class Eight, may miss the rite of passage because they will be in school. This means they will have to wait for another year before they undergo circumcision. Covid-19 has really changed the world, and we have no choice but to wait for the next season," Mr Gilbert Kabage, the patron of the Rift Valley Council of Elders, told the Nation.

The government has kicked off phased re-opening of schools in strict adherence to Covid-19 rules.

In the Kikuyu community, for instance, during the circumcision period, elders usually take hundreds of initiates into a secluded camp inside Mount Kenya Forest, where they undergo medical circumcision and receive teaching in the traditional setup. On the other hand, religious groupings have also been holding parallel ceremonies.

A Kalenjin elder, Mr John Koech, also told the Nation that the annual exercise has been interrupted by the reopening of schools.

"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the new school dates, elders are mulling over postponing the exercise until 2021," said Mr Koech.

Normally, Kalenjin boys who are ripe for the rite are circumcised in November or early December and stay away from home for a month or so as they recover.

The same will affect Kisii and Luhya communities which also conduct circumcision when schools are closed during the December holidays.

The postponement of the ritual comes as a blow to boys who were gearing up for the exercise.

It is likely to dent the self-esteem of this year’s initiation candidates who were eager to transit from childhood.

New school calendar 

However, the Nation has learnt that some parents are planning to ignore the Ministry of Education announcement and circumcise their boys between November and December.

In an interview with the Nation, Mr John Ombati, a resident of Nakuru's Teachers Estate, said he will proceed to circumcise his two boys because they have attained the right age.

"Their education can wait. I plan to have them circumcised from late November. They will resume school in January 2021. I made the decision because they can't wait for another year,” said Mr Ombati.

The Nation learnt that some boys were circumcised between April and August as schools were closed.

Some who were circumcised early last month may not be able to report to school when the institutions reopen next week. 

According to the new school calendar, learners will report to school on October 12 for second term and study continuously until December 23, when they break for Christmas.

Grade 4 pupils have been recalled because they are the first lot on the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Class 8 candidates will then sit their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination from March 22 to March 24, 2021.

Form Four candidates will sit their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination between March 25 and April 16, 2021.

The outbreak of Covid-19 forced the closure of schools countrywide in March just as learners were about to complete their first term.