It’s the year 2018 but girls in some communities are still going through the humiliation of having to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM).
Twins aged 12-years were today found hidden in a house at Igambang’ombe Constituency, Tharaka-Nithi County when police rescued them after they allegedly underwent FGM.
According to Senior Sergeant Patrick Munene, the officers acted after receiving a tip off from Plan International, an independent children’s rights organisation. Mr. Munene said that the twins had been mutilated by a famous woman in the area who collaborated with the mother of the girls.
The Senior Sergeant confirmed that the girls had been taken to Chuka Referral Hospital for treatment before being transferred to the child department as investigations continue. A clinical officer at Chuka hospital said that one of the girls had contracted a bacterial infection but is now under medication.
When asked why she allowed her girls to undergo the mutilation, the mother of the twins said that she had circumcised her other four girls to avoid a family curse that had caused her mental problems when she ignored the cut.
According to the mother of the twins, her deceased grandfather had instructed the family to perform the procedure on all the girls in their family lineage or face consequences. She further claimed her mental problems disappeared after undergoing the procedure.
The mother’s reasons seem to be new as most societies that practice FGM in Kenya believe that it is an initiation into adulthood and prevents the woman from becoming promiscuous. FGM in Kenya is associated with several health risks to women which include medical complications such as haemorrhage, pain, pelvic infection, painful intercourse and complications of childbirth such as obstructed labour due to scarring of tissues.
The practise also predisposes girls to early marriage since after the initiation they are considered mature women who can get married.