President Uhuru Kenyatta has weighed in on the delicate subject of the place time-honoured traditions in the face of modernity.

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Speaking on Friday at State House, the head of state called on elders, whom he said he immensely respected, to discard retrogressive practices in the name of tradition.

"I respect the elders and our traditions but the time has come for us to discard some things. That is not in any way to say that we do not love our traditions but that our world has changed (Nawaheshimu wazee na utamaduni wetu, lakini kuna wakati wa kuwacha mambo Fulani. Hivi sio kusema hatupendi utamaduni wetu ila dunia imebadilika), " the head of state said.

There are traditions considered to be backward like the circumcision of women, referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), that are being practiced by some communities.

FGM has been defended by communities that practice it as a mechanism to keep women sexually pure even though human rights activists see it as abuse.

According to Global Observatory Organization, the prevalence of the practice among young girls in Kenya is at 21% for women aged between 15-45 years.

Cattle rustling has also been defended by traditional purists as a matter of tradition.

Interior and Coordination of National Government Dr Fred Matiang'i has long maintained that people will not be allowed to break the law in the name of tradition.