Chief rescues 20 girls set to undergo illegal cut

By CHARLES NGENO

Narok County: Twenty girls who were scheduled to undergo forced circumcision have been rescued at Enelerai location in Narok South district.

Area assistant chief Erickson Ngeno said the girls aged between 15 and 19 had been were to face the cut against their wish.

He also added that one of those rescued was a newly married woman.

“When word reached my office that the girls were due for circumcision last Monday we stormed the homestead with some church elders,” he said.

Ngeno said the would-be circumciser escaped to Bomet County and police were following her trail.

He said female circumcision has changed in the area as married women opt for the cut while attributing the practice to the stigma that uncircumcised women face from the society.

“As a way of beating the law, married women are getting circumcised with the reasoning that this is voluntary. The community must change its attitude,” said Ngeno.

The administrator also faulted some men whom he said still looked down on uncircumcised women.

“We have had some fathers refusing to pay dowry for their son’s wives who are yet to be circumcised while some husbands argue that circumcised women are easier to control,”” said the chief.