Kajiado women leaders were on Saturday moved to tears when Maasai children recited poems on injurious practices they undergo under their parents.
County First Lady, Edna Lenku, nominated senators; Mary Seneta and Judy Pareno struggled to keep their tears from dropping when children from Child Fund Network recited poems that touched hearts.
It happened during this year’s celebrations on the Day of the African Child at Entaretoi Primary School in Mashuuru Sub County when the wife of Governor Joseph Lenku dropped her head as she struggled to stop her tears after children recited a poem entitled “Step Mother”.
The children told of parents forcing their young daughters into circumcision and later early marriages to husbands older that their great grand fathers.
They told of sufferings through decisions made by their parents without their consent as their neighbours and those in government watch without taking action.
The County First lady and the nominated senators, after they were overwhelmed by recitations, shot up from their seats and went to console with them as hundreds of guests watched.
Later on the First Lady said she could not hold her tears after hearing of tortures children undergo in the hands of their parents in this 21st Century and more than 50 years in to Kenya’s independence.
Lenku said she will stand with all the children from the county in fighting for their rights to go to school, in stopping female genital mutilation, and early childhood marriage among school going girls.
“My office has programs that include giving out bursary funds to less fortunate members of the society so their children cannot miss out on education. I will be working with various organisations which handle children issues in the county so as to assist them to support our children,” said Lenku.
Seneta said it a right of every individual to mentor children and ensure they are protected.
She said; “I am disturbed that many abuse cases on children are dragging for many years in children’s courts in the county without being dealt with. That process also amounts to child injustice.”
“We cannot purport to be helping our children by arresting those who abuse them, only for the courts to drag those cases for years without any meaningful results,” said Seneta.
Day of the African Child celebration chairman Jackson ole Teteyio had shocked the guests earlier when he revealed that Mashuuru Sub County is leading with unresolved cases of rape and child abuses that are in Kajiado law courts.
Pareno said children are crying allover because they have been denied to go to school and instead most of them are forced to herd livestock as young girls are forced in to marriages.
“As leaders, we want to state categorically here today that we shall stand by all forces that are against these injurious traditional practices so that we can make meaningful changes in the way we take our children,” said Pareno.
Earlier on Mashuuru Deputy County Commissioner, Stephen Nyakundi, had revealed a shocker that because of pressure from the government, Kajiado Maasai are now crossing the border into Tanzania to circumcise young girls and return them later to the country.
“We are aware of all what you are now doing, we shall arrest you and take those children to hospitals for checkups, and if found to have been circumcised you will face the wrath of the law,” warned Nyakundi.
Girl child activist and retired teacher, Priscillah Nankurai, appealed to Tanzania President John Magufuli to help Kenyan children from the cut in his country by banning cross border ‘trafficking’ of girls to his country.
“I am appealing to Magufuli to help us to use his locks on all foot routes to that country so we can have a piece of mind over the safety of our children,” said Nakurai.
Jackson ole Teteyio.
