Governor James Ongwae's wife, Elizabeth Ongwae, has described Female Genital Mutilation practiced by the Gusii community as a serious form of Gender-Based Violence that deprives girls their right to education.
Ms Ongwae challenged the Gusii community to re-think their clinging to the outdated cultural practice which she regretted had threatened many girls' education and reproductive health lives.
Speaking at Kisii Culture Hall on Wednesday afternoon after launching this year's 16 days of Activism against GBV, Ms Ongwae while referring to this year's Theme, "Make Education Save for All" blamed GBV especially FGM for disrupting girl-child education in the region.
"I am challenging members of the Gusii community to acknowledge that GBV is a vice affecting all of us and we must come out to speak against it to assure women and children of their security in the homes and in public places," she stated.
Ms Ongwae challenged residents of Kisii County to use the 16-days campaign to ensure everybody is sensitised on the negative effects of GBV to the county's socio-economic development agenda.