FGM rescuer faces child-trafficking charges in Baringo
Good Samaritan faces child-trafficking charges after rescuing 22 teenage girls from undergoing forceful Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage in Tiaty Sub-county Baringo County.
African Inland Churches (AIC) missionary pastor David Kimaru, 40, and his wife Judy, 34, were arrested and locked up with the underage school-going girls at Kabarnet on Wednesday.
“Already the handler of the children has committed an offense for not following the right procedure and they will have to be arraigned in court and face charges of child-trafficking” County Police Coordinator Smallets Munyanzi told Media in his office.
The girls were putting up temporarily at Kabarnet Deaf and Blind rehabilitation after being transported for safety by their rescuer on Sunday.
Munyanzi said the case is currently with Baringo Central OCPD Phillip Wambugu and once investigations are complete the culprits will be arraigned in court.
“I received a phone call on Tuesday evening about the young kids and I sent my officers immediately to the scene to assess the situation…of course the innocent children have got no mistake but whoever transported them should explain how they accessed from their parents and transported them this far” Munyazi said.
He further said police are looking for the parents of the girls to come and answer the charges of child neglect.
Pastor Kimaru said schools closed in August and he offered to evade the children from being forced by their parents and brothers in Tirioko ward in Tiaty Sub-county to undergo forceful female cut and later married off early.
“The children were being threatened by their parents’, so I saw it necessary according to the law to rescue and take them to school” he said.
The girl aged between 8 and 13 years were among 22 rescued in different dates between 2014 and 2017 at Kangiruru, Loyamoi, Embositit, Chepkirial, Akoret and Kongor villages.
“The girls were among thousands of pokot girls being targeted for the cut this August holiday so I had to help them run away for safety so I chose Kabarnet deaf- blind being a public institution” Kimaru.
According to him, after media expose about the stranded girls many well-wishers were calling in on humanitarian ground to support the girls get accessed to good health and education.
“In as much as I support the government move to assist the children but it should have courtesy with us instead of using child-trafficking as intimidation” Kimaru said calling upon the churches in Kenya to join him in prayers.
He said the girls were just a fraction of the thousands of pokot girls being humiliated and forced to undergo traditional rituals before being married to old men in exchange of livestock for dowry in Tiaty Sub-county.
-JOSEPH KANGOGO