Renewed push to curb FGM in Isiolo County amid new steering committee effort

Authorities intensify anti-FGM efforts in Isiolo County amid high prevalence rates. [File Courtesy]

The Government of Kenya, through the National Anti-FGM Board, has intensified efforts to curb the rampant cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Isiolo County, whose prevalence rates stand at a high of 66% against the national average of about 15%, according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics released in the year 2022.

The board, has completed the process of establishing and revitalizing a County Steering Committee comprising of representatives from Faith Based organizations, local administrators, office of the director of public prosecutions, the police service, the County Government’s department of health services, the department of gender and social services and local anti-FGM Champions/crusaders, who have now been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating efforts to curb the outlawed practice, ensuring that those responsible are nabbed and that the cases against them are water-tight so that they are punished by law.

Speaking in Isiolo, following two days of capacity building of the steering committee members, Hashim Mousa Yusuf, a director at the National Anti-FGM board, noted that similar efforts will be replicated across 22 hotspot counties to ensure that the fight against the age-old outlawed practice is won.

He expressed optimism that the high prevalence rates reported in Isiolo will drop significantly during the next statistics report set to be released next year, owing to concerted efforts from all stakeholders.

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services who is also serving as the acting CECM for education, youth, Sports, gender and social services at the County Government of Isiolo Luqman Ahmed said that the devolved Government has also began the construction of two Gender Based Violence (GBV) Recovery Centres, one at the Isiolo County Referral Hospital grounds and another one at the Garbatula Sub County Hospital grounds to act as one stop shops where victims and survivors of FGM and other forms of gender based violence, will find a haven as they recover as well as psychosocial, legal and medical support.

Isiolo Interfaith Network Chairperson Sheikh Ahmed Set hailed the move to come up with the county steering committee, noting that only a collaborative effort between all the stakeholders will effectively win the fight against FGM. He notes that religious leaders also need to escalate the anti-FGM message to their faithful in churches and mosques.

Saadia Hassan Tache, a Survivor and anti-FGM Champion working at the County Department of Gender, cited reluctance by members of the public to report cases and perpetrators of the vice as the main reason why the outlawed practice is still rampant among pastoralist communities, especially in Isiolo. 

She added that courtesy of her anti-FGM campaigns, her two siblings aged 13 and 9 have not and will not undergo the practice, calling upon other members of public to embrace the spirit of collective responsibility to ensure that the worrying statistic of a whooping 66% prevalence rate against the national average of 15% is significantly brought down to at least 40% or below during the next KNBS report in a year.

The stakeholders argued that the Country has proper legislation to deter the practice, but the problem lies in the implementation and enforcement of the available laws.