Police rescue two girls due to undergo FGM in Narok

Two teenage girls were on Wednesday evening rescued from undergoing female genital mutilation and early marriage in Nkareta and Maji Moto, Narok North sub-county.

The girls aged ten and thirteen years were rescued by police and officers from the Narok children’s office, following a tip off from members of the public.

According to the children officer Elizabeth Kasura one of the girls is in class five with the other is a class eight leaver who is awaiting admission to secondary school next year.

According to the children officer, the two were scheduled to undergo the cut that is seen as a rite of passage to adulthood and a sign of readiness to be married off.

“We rescued the two girls following tip off from members of public and we will now hand them over to a local girls rescue center for accommodation and protection,” said Ms Kasura.

She added that the parents of the class eight leaver secretly planned to circumcise her and marry her off since they could not pay for her school fees next term after she scored 298 marks out of 500 in the just released Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination results.

Children officers and girls rescue centres in the county have put up a spirited fight against the practice by sheltering girls who escape their homes to evade undergoing the cut.

Traditionally FGM ceremonies, take place around the third week of December.

According to Tasaru Rescue Centre Director Agnes Pareyio, availability of alternative rites of passage to adulthood is having impact in the area.

However, peer pressure and parental authority still have a huge influence over whether girls undergo the 'cut'.