Police in Trans Mara West are holding 14 girls subjected to FGM and six women for alleged involvement in the crime.
"It is unfortunate the girls had already undergone the outdated cultural practice. However, we will subject them to the full force of the law," Narok deputy County Commissioner Hassan Noor said.
The 20 were arrested at Oldonyorok in Angata Barrikoi ward at night over the weekend.
The girls were taken to Transmara West Sub-county Hospital for assessment and confirmed to be victims. They had fresh genital wounds.
“The area chief gave information to the police that FGM activities were going on in his village. The police raided the suspect’s home at midnight and found the 14 girls and six women in a room,” Noor said.
The girls are minors and will be treated as victims unable to resist FGM. They will not charged, but the women will be arraigned in Kilgoris for abetting FGM.
A week ago, five people were fined Sh200,000 each or in default serve three years in jail after they admitted abetting FGM.
The five had been arrested in Lolgorian, Trans Mara West. The cut was being performed in the man's home.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has said Kenya should be FGM-free by 2022, a goal unlikely to be achieved as it is rampant in some areas, although declining nationally.
Two weeks ago, the Anti-FGM board met local administrators and discussed how to eradicate FGM. The administrators included Narok Commissioner Evans Achoki, six deputy county commissioners and chiefs.
Board chair Agnes Pareiyo called on chiefs to be on the frontline against FGM by arresting and prosecuting those involved.
“Ending FGM can only be achieved if all people agree to shun the vice and make every effort to end it," Pareiyo said.
She said success depends mostly on local administrators as they know what's happening on the ground and what's planned.
"We want to see you doing more arrests and ensuring the culprits are punished,” she said.
FGM is outlawed and chiefs, assistants and others can lose jobs for not reporting and stopping the cultural practice.
Board CEO Bernadette Loloju said chiefs should educate the communities at the grassroots on the dangers and illegality of FGM.
“Most of these people do not know about the President's directive and it's your responsibility to inform them by holding programmes at the grassroots," she said.
Achoki warned chiefs who abet FGM and hide perpetrators of dire consequences.
"Any chief who fails to report culprits risk being interdicted and losing his or her job," he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
