Police rescue girl, 13, from early marriage
Ms Josphine Kulea, a child activist, talks to girls aged between 4 and 12 years old after they were rescued from FGM and early marriage in Samburu. Photo/ FILE
Police in Turkana have rescued a 13-year-old girl from an early marriage.
The girl’s father wanted to marry her off to an elderly man who had paid bride price.
Turkana West education officer Wilson Korombori said the girl’s parents stormed Kakuma Girls Boarding School and demanded to take the girl away.
Became rowdy
“The parents were accompanied by people who became rowdy, prompting the head teacher to seek our intervention. The man is being held in police custody,” Mr Korombori said.
He added: “The father claimed that he used the bride price to marry another wife and the girl must accept to stop learning and become a wife because he could not return the bride price.”
The DEO said cases of girls being married off to elderly men without their consent were common in the district.
He said the act had adversely affected the education of girls and challenged local leaders to hold regular meetings to teach the community about the value of education.
“Most of the locals view livestock as a source of wealth and marrying off their daughters is one way of generating wealth. This has been a challenge in our efforts to ensure children who have attained school going age remain in school,” Mr Korombori said.
The education officer asked the government to set up a rescue centre for girls who escape from forced marriages.
