Kisii politician Okeng'o Nyambane wants the government to up its game in eradicating female genital mutilation.
Speaking in Kisii town where he donated face masks to school-going children, the senate hopeful called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to eradicate the vice to guarantee equal opportunities for all children
He said the rate at which some communities were circumcising their girls was worrying.
Nyambane, said some parents are using this opportunity that schools are closed for non-candidates classes to carry out FGM on young girls.
"It is no longer about whether our people know whether this vice has been outlawed or not, it is about enforcing these laws to ensure every person found culpable bears the full punishment before the court of law," he stated.
He said that security agents must act to stop the vice since the world has moved on from cultural practices that impede development.
“Societies should move forward by abandoning this act that tends to cause unnecessary pain and trauma on the girl child,” Nyambane said.
He asked local communities to embrace other alternative forms of rites of passage in order to give girls a chance to get an education and help them realise their potentials.
On Covid-19, he called on the residents to adhere to the guidelines and health protocols given by the government to stem infections.
At least 30 people in Kisii have died of Covid-19.
Nyambane observed that carelessness in the matatu sector was spawning the disease owing to the overloading of passengers.
"It causes worry that they are still cramming passengers like sardines with no care if they are getting the disease or not, and even more sickening is seeing them easily navigating through traffic checkpoints without getting arrested and prosecuted."
He said the country's leadership cannot talk of effectively reducing the rising infections without people sticking to the recommended health protocols.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris