Police in Keiyo have arrested four women who had been lined up to undergo the outlawed Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and three other women at Chepkogin village.
In a sting operation conducted under the cover of darkness, police ambushed the women who included two elders believed to be circumcisers, and the owner of the house at a secluded house ready to undergo the cut.
All the women are all aged over 21 and 28 years with some reported to be already married while the circumcisers are aged 70 years and 72 years.
Following a tip from the members of the public, the officers arrested the women just in time before the operation began.
Elgeyo Marakwet County police commander John Mwinzi while applauding the members of the public for the tip-off said that two knives and blankets were also recovered.
“If we could have delayed even for a minute we would have found all the women circumcised. This outlawed practice should be condemned by all,” said the police boss noting that the women in are police custody.
He said the women will be taken to court on Wednesday after investigations are completed.
“After interrogating the women for long, they opened up and blamed their spouses for coercing them into undergoing the cut. Some are about to be married and they had been told they will not get husbands before being cut,” stated Mr Mwinzi.
He said that all security officers in the county are on high alert following report that thousands of women and young girls have been rounded up to undergo the cut as soon as the KCSE examination ends.
“Let the general public be warned that FGM is an illegal practice and anybody found to be perpetuating the outlawed cultural practice will face the law,” he cautioned.
Mr Mwinzi said there was need for society to value women in their natural being.
“FGM has exposed young girls to early marriages thus curtailing their future endeavors and we should all fight the vice,” he urged.
“There are some residents who regard culture as a matter of life and death and uncut women are bashed. There is need for men to be sensitized to accept their women and girls whether cut or not,” he said.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join