Nyamira County Woman Representative Jerusah Momanyi has urged parents to stop aiding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) during the long December holiday, warning that some are secretly working with rogue medical workers to perpetuate the outlawed practice.
Speaking at Makairo location in Kitutu Masaba Constituency, Momanyi revealed that her office had received reports of parents colluding with dishonest public nurses to subject their adolescent daughters to the painful procedure under the guise of preparing them for adulthood.
“Let our parents know that our girls grow naturally and gracefully, beautifully, without their bodies being mutilated in any way,” she said.
Momanyi outlined the dangers of FGM, noting that it exposes girls to sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS, excessive bleeding, and early marriages, which deny them access to quality education and a better life.
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Addressing bodaboda operators, the Woman Representative urged them to act as reliable advocates against FGM and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), saying their close contact with the public puts them in a strategic position to help curb the vice.
She revealed that some parents hire bodaboda riders to transport girls to secret hideouts where quack practitioners carry out the illegal cut, warning that security agencies were tracking down those involved.
“I request you to be good agents of your government by exposing these enemies of development to security organs for legal action,” she said.
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To support the riders’ empowerment, Momanyi donated Ksh147,000 from the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to strengthen their table banking activities. She also encouraged them to join Saccos to access affordable loans for business growth.
Her message was echoed by Nyamira County Commissioner Elastus Mbui, who urged the youth to take advantage of the NYOTA Financial Youth Empowerment Programme.
He encouraged them to develop strong business proposals to attract funding from both government and private agencies rather than engaging in drug abuse and immoral behavior that derail their future.
By Enock Okong’o
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