Parents in Kuria Arrested for Circumcising School Girls.
The Migori county police have detained three parents for the genital mutilation of their daughters in Kuria.
The three, a man and a couple, were arrested at 10:30 p.m. on December 13 in the Nyawitanjiria region of the Kuria West subcounty after police foiled an unlawful circumcision in their homes.
One of the suspects was detained for assisting in the FGM of his 14-year-old daughter, while the couple was arrested for assisting in the FGM of their 13- and 14-year-old daughters.
“We were doing patrols and were alerted that a circumciser was already procured for the exercise at night, we won’t stop until we end this retrogressive cultural practice,” Kuria West subcounty police commander Cleti Kimaiyo said.
Elders of the Bukira clan informed police that a circumciser from outside the region had been hired and that the vice was taking place at night to avoid a police raid.
The adults remain in police custody at the Kehancha police station pending their arraignment, while the youngsters have been kept in a secure location. The youngsters will also undergo a medical examination.
Currently, more than 116 girls have been rescued from Kenya and Tanzania, where illegal FGM practices persist.
Since the 5th of December, about 92 girls have been rescued in the Ntimaru subcounty, which has seen friction between villagers and chiefs who oppose the cut.
Ali Alihoa, the commanding officer of the Ntimaru police department, said that the rescued girls have been sent to other safe areas as intelligence gathering is intensified.
In addition, 24 girls have been rescued by Kuria West since December 8.
“Girls are not circumcised openly and the vice has gone underground and is done at night with circumciser being moved on motorbikes, we have increased surveillance to curb this vice,” Alihoa said.
To avoid incarceration, girls also disguise themselves as boys.
Meru Mwangi, county commissioner of Migori, stated that five girls were rescued on December 13 and eleven more on December 14.
“Parents who are abetting their children being subjected to FGM must be arrested because we shall not continue talking about the same thing,” Mwangi said.
Four clans in the Kuria community practice FGM: Nyabasi, Bwirege, Bugumbe, and Bukira.
