Female gentle mutilation (FGM) cases have dropped in Kajiado by 15 per cent in the last eight years, despite challenges in the war on the retrogressive practice. 

Campaigns against FGM in the vast county have been a swim against riptides given the nomadic lifestyle of the native community—Maasai. The cut is linked to marriageability and typically carried out on girls aged below 15 to make them eligible brides.

At 78 per cent, the FGM prevalence in the county was amongst the highest in Kenya, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014.

In 2019, Kajiado launched a policy to end FGM at the community level, bringing together different players. The Kajiado County FGM Policy proposed the alternative rite of passage as a key intervention. The county has attributed the decline to this effort.

County gender officer Mary Taiko, said concerted efforts have borne fruit, though girls are not out of the woods yet.

“We have managed to reduce the FGM prevalence from 78 per cent to 63 per cent for the past eight years,” she told The Voice, citing a growing recognition that FGM is a harmful practice and a violation of women’s and girls’ rights.

Cross-border FGM cases and those carried out in hospitals have been termed a major challenge orchestrated by those keen on evading the law.

Hurdles

A sensitisation forum in Kajiado town, on Tuesday, noted that court cases involving FGM and early marriage drag. 

“Whenever a culprit is arraigned for FGM-related offences, the case drags for years, denying the victim justice. Some victims are intimidated, prompting them to withdraw. This has been a setback to the fight against FGM," said Jedidah Lemaron, Malkia Intiative director. 

Local administrators are also on the spot for abetting the practice, instead of protecting girls. Last year, a chief and his assistant from Kajiado Central were charged with abetting FGM and early marriage. The case is ongoing.

“Most local administrators remain the biggest barrier to the FGM fight in Kajiado. They collude with culprits and look the other way when they are supposed to act. We will be calling out such officers," said Dorcas Parit, an activist.

Participants also called for political goodwill and urged the county government to set aside funds for heightened campaigns. It is estimated that 100,000 girls undergo FGM in Kenya every year. By Stanley Ngotho, NMG