Five girls walk for days to avoid their planned early marriages in West Pokot

Kapenguria, Kenya: Five girls aged between 10 and 14 were yesterday rescued at Chepkono trading centre in West Pokot County after escaping from early forced marriages.

Plans had been made to marry off the girls to men from Kaitokom village, Kacheliba constituency, forcing them to walk for three days from their village to Pokot South sub-county where they got help.

Kapyogen chief Elijah Lomuton said the girls were found late in the evening on Wednesday stranded at Chepkono centre by a good Samaritan.

Upon interrogation, they said they had run away from home following plans by their parents to marry them off.

"This is violation of children's rights. The girls are too young to be married off," he said.

The chief said he was liaising with his counterpart in Pokot North sub-county to trace their parents.

"The parents must be arrested and prosecuted since our Constitution does not allow early forced marriages," he said.