•The court fined each of the accused Sh200,000 or serve a jail term of three years, September 6,2019 after they pleaded guilty.
•Some of the charged women had undergone a medical check at Githongo Sub County Hospital where medics confirmed their genitals had been mutilated.
A court in Meru has sentenced five victims of female genital mutilation to three years in jail or pay a fine of Sh200, 000.
The women, Florence Kiende from Kauthene, Caroline Wanja from Kanyoe, Charity Karimi from Kathoene, Charity Muthoni from Chuura and Winfred Kawira from Makandune in Central Imenti, were arrested after undergoing FGM.
Kiagu chief Titus Kinyua arrested them after a tip-off from residents.
They appeared before Githongo resident magistrate Evelyn Wachira Ndegwa in Meru and both pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard that on diverse dates within the month of July and August 2019, the accused persons sought FGM services from an initiator on different occasions.
The FGM Act 2011 makes illegal to seek FGM.
The only exceptions are a ‘sexual reassignment procedure or a medical procedure that has a genuine therapeutic purpose’.
The law does not, however, define the meaning of ‘therapeutic’.
Some of the charged women had undergone a medical check at Githongo Sub County Hospital where medics confirmed their genitals had been mutilated.
They pleaded with the court for leniency saying they never knew it was against the law to undergo FGM adding they would never repeat.
In sentencing, the court observed that cases related to FGM are on the rise in the area, adding that the community needs to know the consequences.
“I have considered their mitigation and it appears the offences related to FGM are on rise in the region of jurisdiction. FGM is a backward rite of passage which must be punished. Ignorance of the law is not a defence. I, therefore, see it fit to met out a deterring sentence,” the court ruled.
Imenti Central Sub County commander John Tarus warned that the practice must stop and the law will be harsh to whoever practicing FGM.
“FGM is barbaric and outdated. We want to warn everyone involved whether a woman is willing and have her consent, it is against the law. They have wanted the practice to be done on them,” he said.