Administrator warns locals against practising FGM

A national government administrator has warned residents against performing the outlawed practice of female genital mutilation.

Though government efforts to end the retrogressive ritual have brought some positive changes, some people still continue to mutilate girls and women in Bomet county, said Ndanai-Abossi Assistant County Commissioner Ambrose Kimanzi.

The practice is illegal, Kimanzi reiterated, warning that those found participating in or abetting it will be prosecuted.

He urged parents to ensure that their children were not lured into the practice.

Meanwhile, the administrator cautioned residents about trying to resolve defilement cases in kangaroo courts, locally known as ‘kipgaa’.

The kipgaa method was not only illegal but also deprived victims of proper justice while leaving perpetrators free to continue abusing other girls, knowing they would bail themselves out with a token payment to victims’ parents.

Meanwhile, a member of the Bomet County Assembly said boys lagged in education and needed help. Girls, said area MCA and Majority Leader Paul Kirui, were getting most of the attention at the expense of boys.

Boys, he said, should be encouraged to put more effort into their studies, adding that girls were outshining them academically, especially in the Form Four examination.

Because boys were not doing well academically, he added, they had turned to the boda boda business while others are abusing drugs and alcohol, worsening their situation.

Women, he said, now shoulder most of the burden of taking care of families in many homes and they seem to be more financially stable than men.