Five girls married off in school compound

By OSINDE OBARE

West Pokot, Kenya: Five girls from a school in West Pokot County have been married off as hundreds of girls are secretly circumcised.

Surprisingly, a ceremony to hand over the girls to their respective husbands was held in their school in the full glare of local administrators.

World Vision Orwa Integrated Programme Area official Josiah Rotino disclosed that parents of the Standard Six girls of Kanaa Primary School in Sook Division discontinued their education and married them off.

“The school had seven pupils andit has been left with one boy in Standard Six after the fi ve girls were married off and it is shocking that the marriage ceremony was conducted at the school playground,” Rotino told celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child at Marich Primary School.

West Pokot Assembly Speaker Robert Katina, who was the chief guest, also expressed concern that children as young as seven years were being used in gold mining in local rivers.

Mr Katina pledged to spearhead a sensitisation programme to educate the residents on the rights of the children.

It emerged that parents in the area allowed lazy children to go to school as the bright ones were tasked with herding cattle.

“Lazy children are sent to school while the blight ones are left to look after cattle and these tendencies should stop. The chiefs and elders must ensure children are in school,” Katina directed.

At a similar celebration at Kabichbich Primary School in Pokot South District, hundreds of traditional circumcisers and gender activists denounced harmful practices that hamper child development.

Immaculate Shamalla led residents in a match to denounce FGM and early marriages, which she said violate the dignity of women.