By Ebi Kesiena
President William Ruto has issued a stern warning to residents who are still practising Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Speaking on Saturday during the Marsabit Lake Turkana Cultural Festival in Loiyangalani, the President said FGM is illegal in the country.
During his speech, the President said girls and women should not be subjected to FGM, which violates their human rights.
“The practice of FGM must stop. It is against the law, unconstitutional and it is illegal in the country and no Kenyan should be subjected to the violent treatment of FGM,” he said.
“The greatest gender violence is FGM and early marriages.”
The President also fired a warning against the practice of early marriages in Marsabit County.
According to President Ruto, young girls should be left alone to pursue higher education to improve their lot in life, adding that it was ironic that women are the ones at the forefront of leading FGM and early marriages.
The President said chiefs and their assistants should watch out and women who lead the practice arrested and made to face the law.
“We do not want our daughters to be subjected to violence in the form of FGM, we want our girls to go to school and do their best. Those involved in that exercise must be prosecuted and jailed for a long time because they are destroying the future of the children,” he said.
The President called on leaders in the country to use the 16 days of gender activism to create awareness against the two vices.
He further called for the human papillomavirus vaccine to be administered to girls aged 9-15 years to prevent cervical cancer.
The President however noted that there was enough vaccines in the country to be administered to protect the girls as he called on all first ladies in the country to work with other leaders to promote the administration of the HPV vaccine.
