Where young girls bear the brunt of amorous relatives

A sharp rise in cases of incest in parts of Western Kenya has left authorities scratching their heads for new ways of protecting children, even as village elders blame the vice on bizarre rituals and beliefs.

Officials say a strange belief that sex with virgins could cure HIV and Aids, which gained notoriety in South Africa, appears to have crossed over to parts of Kenya.

The incidents are also attributed to ignorance, failure to punish past offenders and collusion between parents and suspects.

“According to traditions, children born out of such affairs are given away to strangers. If raised by the parents, the child will not be healthy (Ishira) and might bring misfortunes to the family,” said Patrick Lubao, a village elder in Kiliboti, Kakamega County. He said in February alone, he received six incest cases and advised the families to take the minors to a children’s home instead of killing them.

He said most cases involve children of single mothers forced to go to work and leave the young ones alone.

“You find children are being defiled by their close relatives because some people believe that by sleeping with a child you, they can be cured of epilepsy or HIV. Some think it is a source of wealth,” said Lubao.

Statistics from the High Court in Kakamega reveal that between January and July 15, last year, 28 cases of sexual offences were reported, 13 of which were incest and 15 defilement.

In Vihiga County, statistics from Hamisi Law Courts show that between January and July 15, last year, 18 defilement cases were reported with most victims being aged 10 and below.

Police indicated that of the 300 such cases in Malava, 47 are in court, 10 have been completed while the rest have not been prosecuted for lack of evidence.

Incest is sexual activity between two people who are considered, for moral and genetic reasons, too closely related to have such a relationship. It is a taboo in nearly every society.

But teenage girls and minors bear the brunt of amorous relatives in silence and are subjected to a lifetime psychological torture. Catherine Wanyonyi, grandmother of a 14-year-old girl who was impregnated by her cousin reaffirms that incest is a taboo and points out that the child born out of a forbidden union are considered outcasts.

“They call it Luswa’ meaning taboo babies. The fear is that these children bring curses such as infertility and mental problems. In the past, such children were either strangled or abandoned in the bush soon after being born to save the family from perceived curses. The mother is not supposed to breastfeed,” said Wanyonyi.

Masinde Muliro University of Technology education psychologist Kenneth Otieno blames the rising incidents of incest on what he terms as skewed relationships and substance abuse.

Antony Luvisia, secretary General of Urafiki Initiative that helps defiled children in Matete, children should be sensitised about their rights, urge residents to report culprits and severe punishment meted out to perpetrators.