Police in West Pokot County have arrested two parents and a female circumciser who forced their daughters to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) at Porkoyo location in Pokot central Sub County.
Two girls were rescued and taken to Kapenguria referral hospital for treatment after being found over bleeding due to the cut and pain they were subjected to.
According to the area chief Mr. Israel Atukole, he got a tip-off from the neighbours who informed him that six girls were set for the cut at Parek village on Tuesday morning.
He added that he mobilized national police reservists who raided the village and managed to arrest two parents, the circumciser and rescued the two girls.
“Four girls who had undergone the cut and their parents managed to escape and we’ve launched a search for them. FGM cases in my location have been rampant and we’ve increased patrols to ensure no more girls undergo the cut,” he said.
He added that they face a challenge in their bid to rescue girls because of the bad, hilly terrain which hinders their access to some locations. “We had to walk for over thirty kilometres to reach where the girls were and unfortunately some of the parents managed to escape,” he said.
West Pokot police Commandant Mathew Kuto said the suspects are in police custody as they wait to be taken to court.
Anti-FGM activists led by Domitila Chepatula condemned the incident adding that the cases are rampant during this holiday period as they urged all stakeholders to sensitize the community against the retrogressive practice.
