Five mothers charged in Nyamira for circumcising their female children

Chrispine Benta and Beatrice Kemunto stand in the dock to answer to charges of circumcising two girls aged eight years. They all denied the charges and were released on a bond of Sh100,000 or a cash-bail of Sh50,000 to await hearing of their case on January 12, 2016. PHOTO: STANLEY ONGWAE/STANDARD.

KENYA: Five women were Tuesday arraigned before a Nyamira court where they were charged for circumcising their female children all aged below 11 years.

The five: Chrispin Benta Otuke, Beatrice Kemunto, Hebisbah Kerubo, Teresa Kwamboka and Callen Kerubo appeared before Resident Magistrate Ruth Kitagwa and were charged that on diverse dates during the December festive season, they circumcised a total of seven under-age girls on separate incidences.

Benta, Hebishibah and Kwamboka allegedly committed the offence on December 11, at Nyaisa village, Manga sub-county in Nyamira County while Kerubo and Kemunto committed the offence on 9th December at Gekano village in the same sub-county.

They all denied the charges and were released on a Sh100,000 bond with sureties of similar amount or a cash bail of Sh50,000.

Their cases will be coming up for mention on January 12 before a full hearing on February 8, 2016.

The arrests came at a time when the National Anti-FGM board and the local administration put on notice lower level administrators on notice over the continued vice with more than 50,000 girls aged below 18 being marked as potential victims of the heinous practice.

Nyamira County Commissioner Josephine Onunga commended local administrators whom she said had cracked the whip on perpetrators of the illegal cultural act.

In the same court an 80-year-old man was charged with defiling a minor nine-year-old girl.

Edward Atei was subjected to a second count of touching the minor's private parts, against the law.

The prosecution told the court that the accused had committed the offence at Nyabisimba village in Nyamira North sub-county on December 11.

He denied the allegations and was released on a Sh300,000 bond or Sh150,000 cash bail.

His case will be heard on January 19, 2016.