By MN Reporter

A joint Kenya and Tanzania meeting against Female Genital Mutilation in Tarime across the border has borne fruit against the vice among the Kuria community.

Amref Health Africa and Plan International, from both countries organized the meeting at Tarime town which brought together police, media, elders, boda boda riders and other stakeholders from across the country.

The four Kuria clans of Bwirege, Nyabasi, Bugumbe and Bukira, as well as Renchoka, and Bumera clans in Tanzania have started the cut.

“We organized the joint meeting and already through sharing intelligence we have zero down on notorious cutters who are stationed in border villages for the illegal acts,” Charles Olwamba, an officer with Amref Health Africa said.

So far over 50 girls from the Kuria community in Kenya have been rescued from Female Genital Mutilation as several suspects have been arrested including a December 8 incident at Ntunyigi village.

A raid at the village thwarted attempted by a circumciser from Tanzania and rescued five girls aged between 12 and 13 years an all primary school pupils from the cut.

The minors were briefly held at Kehancha police station as their parents and circumcisers escaped before being taken to rescue centers.

“We have helped to heighten scrutiny across the border especially on boda boda operators who are hired to transport circumcisers at night from door to door, with worries that school opening slated for January 24 will see more cases,” Olwamba said.

“We need to harmonise laws against the vice between the two countries as they are lenient in Tanzania and also courts cases to be fastracked,” Olwamba added.

Daudi Ibrahim, the Tarime district police boss in Tanzania and Andrew Mwiti, the Kuria West sub-county commissioner said sharing intelligence has seen suspected being nabbed on time.

“We will stop cutters and girls from moving across the border for the cut and to evade justice, we have been sharing information on time and have several cutters movement being trailed through intelligence,” Ibrahim said.

From August, stakeholders from the two countries have been organising several barazas and meetings which included elders, boda boda riders, chiefs and local police which have bore fruit.

The riders are targeted as they are the main means of transport along the borders, their capability to penetrate impassable roads that vehicles cannot access and also that they are in close contact with the local community and hence understand the assignment better than the majority.

Data from the anti FGM board indicate that about 3,000 girls were subjected to cross border  FGM in 2020 in Kenya while the  Bumera of Tanzania and Renchoka subjected more than 800 girls to FGM.

Kuria anti-FGM meeting in Tarime- Tanzania by Amref Africa, Plan International bore fruit

By MN Reporter

A joint Kenya and Tanzania meeting against Female Genital Mutilation in Tarime across the border has borne fruit against the vice among the Kuria community.

Amref Health Africa and Plan International, from both countries organized the meeting at Tarime town which brought together police, media, elders, boda boda riders and other stakeholders from across the country.

The four Kuria clans of Bwirege, Nyabasi, Bugumbe and Bukira, as well as Renchoka, and Bumera clans in Tanzania have started the cut.

“We organized the joint meeting and already through sharing intelligence we have zero down on notorious cutters who are stationed in border villages for the illegal acts,” Charles Olwamba, an officer with Amref Health Africa said.

So far over 50 girls from the Kuria community in Kenya have been rescued from Female Genital Mutilation as several suspects have been arrested including a December 8 incident at Ntunyigi village.

A raid at the village thwarted attempted by a circumciser from Tanzania and rescued five girls aged between 12 and 13 years an all primary school pupils from the cut.

The minors were briefly held at Kehancha police station as their parents and circumcisers escaped before being taken to rescue centers.

“We have helped to heighten scrutiny across the border especially on boda boda operators who are hired to transport circumcisers at night from door to door, with worries that school opening slated for January 24 will see more cases,” Olwamba said.

“We need to harmonise laws against the vice between the two countries as they are lenient in Tanzania and also courts cases to be fastracked,” Olwamba added.

Daudi Ibrahim, the Tarime district police boss in Tanzania and Andrew Mwiti, the Kuria West sub-county commissioner said sharing intelligence has seen suspected being nabbed on time.

“We will stop cutters and girls from moving across the border for the cut and to evade justice, we have been sharing information on time and have several cutters movement being trailed through intelligence,” Ibrahim said.

From August, stakeholders from the two countries have been organising several barazas and meetings which included elders, boda boda riders, chiefs and local police which have bore fruit.

The riders are targeted as they are the main means of transport along the borders, their capability to penetrate impassable roads that vehicles cannot access and also that they are in close contact with the local community and hence understand the assignment better than the majority.

Data from the anti FGM board indicate that about 3,000 girls were subjected to cross border  FGM in 2020 in Kenya while the  Bumera of Tanzania and Renchoka subjected more than 800 girls to FGM.