By Gideon Nkoyo
Church leaders in remote areas have been urged to be in the forefront in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The call was made by Virginia Lucy Lekumoisa of Sowering Sisters Foundation that sensitizes communities against the repugnant cultural practice.
Speaking during a forum attended by 500 girls from several schools in Ilmarba area, Lekumoisa appealed to church leaders to help stamp out FGM and early marriages.
She lamented that the retrogressive practice was still going on in several places, mostly in remote areas of Kajiado Central and West Sub-counties.
“The anti FGM campaign was started in several schools like Ilmarba, Oloika, Emurua Dikir and Oloika schools. We urge other stakeholders to partner with us to fight the menace,” she observed.
She said due to the foundation’s efforts there had been a decrease in girl-child school dropouts.
“There has been an increase in the number of girls finishing class eight and continuing to secondary level,” she added.
Lekumoisa said the Foundation has programmes in several countries in Africa whose communities still practice FGM.
She urged pastors to preach against FGM, noting that as respected spiritual leaders they were in a better position to positively influence local residents.
Rev Haron Oloruma from Ilmarba churches said church leaderships are against retrogressive culture.