Child rights activists in Laikipia County are sounding the alarm over a fresh surge in cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, warning that more girls are being targeted as the festive season approaches.
According to the Anti-FGM Board, prevalence in Laikipia remains worryingly high at 80 percent far above the national average of 15 percent. The board says the numbers are especially concerning in pastoral communities where the outlawed practice continues to be carried out secretly.
In one recent case in Laikipia North, two Grade Nine girls fled their homes and sought refuge at the One More Day for Children rescue centre in Doldol after learning of plans to force them into the cut. The centre is currently hosting 75 girls, all survivors of harmful cultural practices recorded in recent years.
Speaking in Kimanjo during a graduation ceremony for 250 girls who completed a four-day alternative rite of passage training, Anti-FGM Board CEO Bernadette Loloju said Kenya has made progress but warned that communities like those in Laikipia require intensified outreach.
“We have achieved a lot in the fight against FGM, but certain regions remain at high risk. Women and girls must be at the centre of dismantling this harmful culture,” she said.
The board is now engaging elders to lead local campaigns against the practice and working with youth under the “My Dear Daughter” initiative, which encourages young men to reject FGM and to openly support uncircumcised girls.
Laikipia North Deputy County Commissioner David Boen has directed chiefs to ensure no cultural ceremonies take place at night and ordered parents to keep their daughters at home by 6pm as an added layer of protection.
Action for Children in Conflict (AFCiC) Director John Muiruri described FGM as a precursor to forced marriage and said the practice persists in remote pockets where it is done in secrecy. AFCiC continues to support vulnerable girls with shelter, education and access to justice.
Activists are urging tighter vigilance across the county, warning that without strong community involvement, more girls may be exposed to harmful rites in the coming weeks.
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