Kadaga to meet Ruto over FGM

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has said she will meet Kenya's deputy president, William Ruto and talk about the increasing incidences of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kapchorwa and other districts in the Sebei sub region.

Ruto belongs to the Kalenjin ethnic group in Kenya. The same group also live in Sebei sub region and there have been reports that the Ugandan Kalenjin crossover to Kenya to practise FGM.

Presiding over a fundraising session at Tumboboi SS in Kapchorwa, Kadaga said he was irked by the number of young girls crossing over Kenya to carry out FMU.

He said: "I am surprised that young girls in this region trek long distances to do this practise and come back, I will talk to Kenya' Vice President Ruto."

According to UNICEF officials, they noted that as a positive effect of Anti-FGM Act 2010, the girls were able to report the cases to police due to mass sensitisation, and in Karamoja, the rate slightly decreased from 2.4 % in 2006 to 2.3% in 2011.

Beatrice Chelangat, director general, Reach Programme Against FGM applauded parliament for fighting the vice.