Thursday, December 08, 2005

160 Under-age Girls Raped In Chepkobeh Village In Kenya!

A TYPICAL VILLAGE GIRL IN KENYA
160 Girls Hidden in Villages After Ritual

That was the headline of the latest news report. That more than 160 under-age girls were taken to a rural village in Kenya and forcefully circumcised and to me that is the worst form of Rape. And the girls were not older than 12 years!
Can you believe this!

They said the girls were circumcised so that they could be married off immediately. So, they are still going to be sold to older men who will further rape them day and night. And the innocent and powerless girls have no choice as they are sold like sheep to be slaughtered.

Each girl will be sold for at least 40 cows as bride price!

The other day Pia Savage of Courting Destiny was recalling her past nightmares of rape and other female bloggers wrote their own views on the worst crime against the female sex.

Pia must read this!

For your benefit here is the full report below.

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
December 7, 2005
Posted to the web December 7, 2005

By Nation Correspondents
Nairobi

More than 160 under-age girls are holed up in manyattas in West Pokot District after being secretly circumcised.

The girls, aged between 10 and 12 years, are said to secluded at Chepkobeh Village, about 65 kilometres from Kapenguria Town.

Most are expected to be married off when they leave seclusion, according to an elder who spoke to the Nation in Kapenguria.

"Our traditions allow a girl who has undergone the cut to be married off," the elder said, adding that each would fetch at least 40 cows as bride price.

Yesterday, West Pokot district commissioner Stephen Ikua told journalists that he stopped another circumcision ceremony in Tamukh. Fifty girls were to undergo the cut, which is outlawed for minors.

"I have instructed all the chiefs and their assistants to stop the menace and arrest all parents who force their girls to undergo the cut," he said.

Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto yesterday protested against the practice, which he termed primitive and blamed for cutting short girls' education.

Mr Enoch Rotich, an official of the Tegla Loroupe Foundation said it had started a campaign to educate the community on girls' education.

A Sh10 million project is planned to train local doctors to assist girls overcome health complications and trauma after circumcision.

Sixty doctors and nurses will be trained in reconstruction surgery and in specialised counselling for the girls, according to the coordinator, Mr Ken Wafula, of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.

He said the programme, which will also benefit 60 staff of organisations involved in the fight against FGM, 120 lawyers and 60 children's officers.

The two-year project will be funded by Spain and several other European nations. It will target district hospitals in Kapenguria, Kapsowar, Kapsokwony, Kabarnet, Iten, Bomet, Kericho and Kisii.

The project starts in February.




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Copyright © 2005 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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2 comments:

Alex said...

"160 Under-age Girls Raped In Chepkobeh Village In Kenya!"


There's a legal age for rape in Kenya? Weird!

EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima said...

To me female circumcision is RAPE!