Kenya: Woman Dies After Cut

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

December 14, 2006
Posted to the web December 14, 2006

Steve Mkawale
Nairobi

A woman died after undergoing female genital mutilation in Nakuru District.

Police on Thursday collected the body from the young woman's home in Neissuit village.

"We are looking for her parents and the person who carried out the mutilation," said the OCPD, Mr Titus Yoma.

The woman, 18, is said to have bled to death after undergoing the traditional rite with 32 others.

Villagers told The Standard that the victim sat her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination this year, and was looking forward to joining Form One next year.

"She did not want to undergo the rite, but her parents warned that they would send her away if she refused," her former schoolmate said.

It was the woman's neighbours who called the police after learning of the death, Yoma said.

Four other girls who underwent the banned rite have been taken to a local health centre for check-up. Many parents whose daughters were cut have gone underground to avoid arrest.

Although the female genital mutilation has been outlawed, many communities continue to practise the rite.

The tradition is common among the Kipsigis, Abagusii, Pokot, Turkana, Kuria, Maasai and Meru.

Meanwhile, two girls who claimed policemen defiled them are yet to record statements.

Yoma said two boys arrested in connection with the hotel incident are in police custody.

"They are assisting us with investigation. They were found in the hotel room where the girls claim they were sexually assaulted," he said.

The girls, aged 13 and 14, were taken to Nairobi Women's Hospital. He said the implicated officers have been questioned and released.

I add this for clarification regarding the thought that perhaps FGM is mandated by the Islamic religion:
According to Dr. Sami A. Aldeeb Abu-Salieh at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law:

Islamic juridical logic cannot acknowledge the distinction between female and male circumcision, both being the mutilation of healthy organs which is damaging to the physical integrity of the child, whatever the underlying religious motivations. Furthermore, both practices violate the Koran: 'Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain' (3:191), and '[He] perfected everything He created' (32:7). In our opinion, a god who demands that his believers be mutilated and branded on their genitals the same as cattle, is a god of questionable ethics.^[4]