A 10-year-old grade-3 boy has attempted self-circumcision at his home in Ndabibi region, Naivasha.
Reportedly, the child resorted to a perilous act using a kitchen knife, mirroring a recent trend among boys in the village, situated 40 kilometers from Naivasha town.
The distressed mother, Lucy Wanja, sensed something awry when her son remained confined to his bedroom, exhibiting signs of agony.
Upon closer inspection, she discovered his pants drenched in blood, unraveling the harrowing truth that he had undertaken the circumcision himself.
Expressing astonishment, Wanja lamented her oversight, having been unaware of her son’s grasp of recent village rituals.
Struggling to cope, the single mother appealed for urgent assistance, citing financial constraints amid an inability to provide specialized care for her son.
This incident unfolded shortly after another grim episode in Mai Mahiu, where a newly circumcised boy endured a week-long torture orchestrated by local youths.
Law enforcement intervened, apprehending three suspects, including the stepmother, now facing impending charges of attempted murder.
The Captain of the Kikuyu Council of Elders Kung’u Muigai urged churches to abstain from involvement in initiation ceremonies.
Muigai, representing ‘Kiama Kia Maa,’ emphasized the elders’ expertise in cultural rites, attributing the surge in bullying incidents to the misguided participation of unqualified individuals in the initiation process.
He underscored the elders’ role in guiding and counseling over 10,000 recently circumcised boys on community morals and cultural values in recent weeks.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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