Parents and guardians in Kisii have been asked to join hands with other stakeholders in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Speaking on Wednesday at St Mary’s Nyabururu in an Anti-FGM forum, Kisii’s 'first lady' Elizabeth Ongwae said they are conducting Anti-FGM campaigns, whereby girls will undergo an alternative rite of passage to adulthood.
She said the training is aimed at protecting the girls from FGM and teenage pregnancy.
"FGM prevalence rate in the county is still high despite interventions from government and Non-Government Organisations. I call on the community to shun the outdated culture,” appealed the wife of the governor.
More than 90 girls between the ages of 10 and 15 years enrolled for the programme. They graduated on Wednesday.
She said together with the Heart for Change organisation, they are spearheading the process that aims at curbing Female Genital Mutilation that is rampant in Gusii region especially during December holidays.
The girls were drawn from all 45 wards in the county.
She regretted that some girls willingly go for the cut with the support of their mothers and medics and warned that FGM is a criminal offence in Kenya under the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act, the Children’s Act and the Penal Code.
