Cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) have risen to 79% in West Pokot county despite the government joining hands with Non-Governmental Organizations to help fight the vice.
The cases have increased from 75% last year due to the long December holiday.
Speaking at Sina during the alternative rite of passage for over 160 girls, anti-FGM ambassador Domtilah Chesang attributed the increase to the long holiday.
“Girls have been at home for more than two months and this has exposed many girls to the risk of being subjected to the cut,” she said.
Chesang also said that many boys from the region have undergone male circumcision and this has prompted many girls to undergo the cut.
“In areas where illiteracy levels are high, many girls have been subjected to the cut since their parents are targeting suitors, boys who have been circumcised,” she said.
She said FGM is still being practised in the region because of ignorance and lack of information on the adverse effects of the rite of passage.
Evelyne Pkech, a nurse from Sigor health centre, said the facility had dealt with many botched cases of FGM during this holiday.
“Last week I received a 13 years old girl at the facility, she had over bled and she was suffering from anaemia after being subjected to the cut. I was forced to refer her for further treatment at Kapenguria sub-county hospital,” she said.
Pkech asked the community to halt the culture since it’s outdated.
However, coordinator of a Non-Governmental Organization, Kepsteno Tipin Rotwoo Moses Lokeris, said the alternative rites of passage organized by the organization each year during December holidays have helped save many girls from the cut.
“For the past seven years that we have been holding these alternative rites of passage, cases of FGM have reduced since the girls we educated have become ambassadors and they are spreading the news on the dangers of the outdated cultural practice,” he said.
Lokeris said some parents have opted to conduct the circumcision ceremonies in a different village and then ferry the girls to another village at night to avoid being arrested by local administration.
He said that areas in the county that are leading in conducting the ceremonies secretly are Nyarkulian, Kopulo, and Sondany.
He said political leaders in the county are quiet on the issue and this has hindered their efforts in fighting the vice.
“Political leaders need to join hands in this fight to help save our future generation,” she said.
Assistant county commissioner Pokot South sub-county Harrith Nyaga said the provincial administration had held various public meetings in the region to help sensitize the community on the dangers.
“The meetings have helped since during this holiday only one case was reported and the girl was rescued,” he said.