Mother on the run after burning daughter, 13, with red-hot machete

A 13-year-old girl is nursing serious burns after her mother burned her with a hot machete at their home in Runogone, Imenti North sub-county.

The 13-year-old girl who was burnt by her mother at Runogone village in Meru. She is undergoing treatment at Meru Referral and Teaching Hospital. [PHOTO: MARTIN MWENDA/STANDARD]

The girl, who is now admitted at Meru Referral and Teaching Hospital, was allegedly burned by her mother as a punishment for undergoing an alternative rite of passage, locally known as 'Ntanira na Mugambo', organised by the St Joseph Catholic Church and SOS, Meru.

Aurelia Muthoni, a nurse, said the girl (name withheld) was burned on the face, hands and thighs.

Rose Kathure, a social worker at SOS, said the victim was in a group of 137 girls aged between 13 and 16 who attended the four-day event to educate the about their health and the need to avoid harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), which is rampant in some parts of Meru.

"We hosted the girls with permission from their parents from December 26 to 30. We do not know what happened to the mother because she tied up her daughter with a rope and proceeded to burn her  with a hot panga on the face and other parts," said Ms Kathure.

After burning the girl who is now supposed to be in Class Seven, her mother locked the door and left her inside, still tied up.

The girl's 10-year-old brother untied her and, together, screamed for help. A neighbour came to her rescue and took her to hospital.

Her mother ran away after learning that she had been taken to hospital. Police are looking for her.

Nthuraki M'Riara, the hospital's Chief Executive Officer, asked parents to respect their children's rights.

"We are saddened by the event, because it is a step backwards. We want to see a situation where parents and other members of a right-thinking society do not infringe on the rights of children," he said.