Drama as circumcised girls try to escape arrest

There was drama at Thimbili village in Meru on Thursday afternoon when two girls who had been circumcised tried to escape arrest.

Residents were surprised how the girls withstood the pain of their fresh wounds to escape police dragnet.

Athiru Rujine chief Joshua Munga'thia told the Nation on phone that he was tipped by a Maendeleo ya Wanawake leader from the area that a woman had circumcised her two daughters.

"I called police officers and headed straight to Ms Njeri Baarimbu's homestead where we found few women drinking porridge as they usually do when a girl or a boy has been circumcised. When the girls' mother saw us, she rushed to the house and advised her daughters to escape. We were however lucky to arrest one of the girls and their mother," he said.

The other girl, Mr Munga'thia said, managed to escape but he was confident her sister and mother would help in apprehending her.

The mother was taken to Laare Police Station, while the daughter was taken to a dispensary in KK market for medical check-up.

He said the suspects would be arraigned in court immediately.

This comes barely a week after Anti-FGM board chairperson Dr Linah Jebii pitched camp in the same sub county to discourage the residents from the practice.

During the day, more than 300 girls graduated from the anti-FGM programme.

Ms Jebii said the board would look into ways of collaborating with women from Igembe who were abetting the practice as opposed to men who are usually against it.

Women sometimes take their daughters to their relatives for the 'cut' without the knowledge of their fathers.

Ms Jebii said many communities push for the cut during the December holidays.