Seven girls rescued as thousands face outlawed FGM in Baringo

Seven girls have been rescued from forceful Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Tangulbei, Tiaty Sub-county as thousands face the cut this rainy season in Baringo County.

They are currently being housed at Tangulbei boarding primary school under care of the school head teacher Musa Terter.

“We interviewed them and they said their parents and brothers threatened to kill them if they resisted joining their mates undergoing the cut in the bush” said Terter.

The girls aged nine and 12 years fled their Karoiwo, Kabalabata and Kakaryakales remote villages on Sunday.

The head teacher said owing to their levels of illiteracy he was forced to place the girls, despite their ages, in class one and two respectively.

He said after the cut, the parents will marry off their girls immediately in-exchange of wealth in terms of livestock.

Tiaty East Deputy Sub-county Commissioner Reuben Ratemo assured the girls their security saying they were in the safe hands.

“Although the parents are threatening to storm the school to take away their child but we have alerted our officers to arrest anybody coming to claim any of the girls” said Ratemo.

However, Tangulbei Woman Network Chairlady Mary Kuket predicted that many girls are going to be circumcised this season owing to plenty of rains.

“There is a huge backlog owing to prolonged droughts last year, yet many circumcised young men are also waiting for the young girls to get circumcised so they could marry” said Ms Kuket.

She therefore appealed to the government, friends and well-wishers to donate mattresses, school uniforms and school fees in order to keep the girls in school.

Ms Kuket also appeals to the government to locate more rescue centres in the affected areas saying the numbers of girl fleeing their homes were increasing by the day.

 BY JOSEPH KANGOGO