Match commitment to end FGM with robust implementation, investment

One of the crude blades used in mutilating female genitalia in Uganda.[File, Standard]

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been illegal in Kenya since 2021. Kenya has made notable progress in reducing FGM, with national prevalence declining by more than 50 percent over the last 20 years, from 37 percent in 1998 to about 15 percent today. Yet, these aggregate gains mask deep regional and social inequalities.

In counties such as Wajir and Mandera, prevalence rates exceed 95 percent, while the practice of medicalised FGM is rising. Kenya is now among the five countries globally with the highest levels of FGM performed by health professionals. These trends underscore that, while progress has been achieved, it remains uneven, fragile, and vulnerable to reversal.