Meru elders reject female cut

From The Nation (Nairobi), 30 March 1999

Nairobi - The Njuri Ncheke (tribal court) elders in Nyambene District have called for an alternative rite of passage to replace female circumcision.

At the closing of a one-week seminar at Maua Youth Polytechnic yesterday, the elders said that though female circumcision had been banned among the Ameru community in 1954, it had continued because the provincial administration was unwilling to stop it.

They blamed women for perpetuating the practice by organising secret circumcision ceremonies for their daughters despite being aware of the risks involved.

A nurse at the Nyambene District Hospital, Ms Grace Thirindi, urged girls to ignore those encouraging them to undergo the ritual, saying some girls had contracted HIV/Aids because of the unhygienic method used.