By Godfrey Olukya 6-2-2013
Uganda and Kenya are to join hands in fighting against female genital mutilation, (FGM).
According to Uganda’s minister of state for gender, Rukia Nakadama the few tribes which practice FGM are at the border of the two countries, living on either side of the two states.
She was making her remarks today at a ceremony meant to commemorate the international day to fight against FGM
She said that Uganda was already in touch with authorities in Kenya so that they collectively fight against the vice.
Nakadama said, ‘We are liaising with Kenya to stump out the practice because many of the affected communities lie on the border between the two countries. Those promoting it can easily cross from one country to another when they realize that they are being hunted.’
An anti FGM activist in Kenya, Nelson Njoroge said that he was aware of Uganda and Kenya’s plan to join efforts to eliminate the vice.
Njoroge said, ‘I support the efforts by the two countries to fight the bad practice. I got information that they agreed to work together.
Girls aged between 14 and 18 years in the two countries are subjected to FGM after which they get married even before reaching officially legally accepted age of marriage
According to medical practitioners some girls get infected with HIV-AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases during the exercise because the local surgeons who carry out the practice use the same tools on several girls without sterilizing them.
Every year over 5000 girls are subjected to the cut. In several countries in Africa and the world over today has been commemorated and the vice has been condemned.
In Italy, foreign minister, Giulio Terzi said ‘Our goal is a complete ban on this cruel practice in the shortest time possible Although there are obstacles, the results so far have been encouraging.’
She said this at the close of an event on the topic of female genital mutilation, promoted by “Non c’è pace senza giustizia”, a non-governmental organization, the discussion took place at the Foreign Ministry in Rome.
Italy is one of the leading western countries in combating FMG
END
