Samburu, Kenya: A 12-year-old girl who was about to be married off to an elderly man in Samburu Central has been rescued.
Petison Leleruk, a local girl rights activist, said they were alerted about the plan to marry her off by her mother who was opposed to the arrangement. The rescue comes barely days after Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Board Chairperson Linah Chebii Kilimo urged elders in the area to abandon traditions that infringe on the rights of girls.
County Children's Officer Joseph Mwangi, who had also been informed about the planned marriage, confirmed the rescue.
"We have teamed up with chiefs and the entire community to protect girls against gender-based violence," he said in his office.
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