By GPC Reporter
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending female genital mutilation (FGM), saying education and economic empowerment are key to protecting girls from harmful cultural practices.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Environment County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Dr John Matiang’i during the International Day of the Girl Child celebrations at Ekerenyo in Nyamira North on Sunday, Nyaribo called on parents, community elders, religious leaders and teachers to take an active role in the fight against FGM.
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“There is no justification for subjecting children to harmful practices in the name of culture or tradition,” he said.
The governor acknowledged that Kenya had missed its target of ending FGM by 2022, but said his administration was pursuing social and economic interventions to encourage communities to abandon the practice.
Nyamira and the wider Gusii region remain among the areas where FGM is practised, despite legal measures and awareness campaigns aimed at eliminating it.
Nyaribo said clandestine arrangements for the practice continued to emerge, underscoring the need for sustained community engagement alongside enforcement of the law.
“My administration is implementing various programmes and projects for sustained results through empowerment of the girl-child,” he said.
He identified access to education as both a fundamental right for girls and a strategic tool for changing community attitudes towards harmful practices.
The county government has distributed free sanitary products to more than 3,500 girls in selected primary schools to help reduce absenteeism associated with menstruation.
According to the governor, the programme has been running for more than a year, helping girls remain in school while promoting menstrual health and dignity.
The county scholarship programme has also supported more than 751 secondary school students, with girls accounting for the majority of beneficiaries.
Nyaribo said the initiative was intended to expand access to education and equip young people with the knowledge to challenge practices that undermine the rights of girls and women.
The administration has also partnered with the KCB Foundation under a full-scholarship vocational training programme targeting young people, with women deliberately prioritised.
Of the 1,091 beneficiaries in the programme’s second cohort, 655 are women, representing about 60 per cent.
The county has further developed a skills training programme targeting teenage mothers to help them acquire practical skills and become economically independent.
Nyaribo said he had instructed the county departments responsible for education and information and communication technology to establish hostels for women in five vocational training centres to make it easier for them to access training.
The county is also using the annual Governor’s Cup, implemented through the Department of Gender, Sports, Youth and Cultural Services, to engage young men and women on gender equality and the enjoyment of their rights.
Other interventions involve the departments of trade and cooperatives, agriculture and livestock development, health services, and environment and climate change, which support women’s economic empowerment through various programmes.
The governor said the county was ready to strengthen partnerships with the national government and other stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions to FGM.
He challenged community leaders and institutions to take responsibility for protecting girls, warning that ending the practice required more than legislation and public awareness campaigns.
“Our commitment is zero tolerance for FGM. Every girl protected. Every girl empowered. Every girl given a chance to thrive,” he said.
The celebrations brought together national and county government representatives and other stakeholders to renew calls for the protection of girls’ rights and the elimination of harmful practices.
Nyaribo thanked the national government for selecting Nyamira County to host this year’s International Day of the Girl Child event.
