• Kilimo said it is impressive that the church is playing A greater role in fighting vices which hinder the development of girl-child education.
• She said it is time Kenyans took the lead in ensuring issues hindering development of girl child education were eliminated.
Image: COURTESY
Public Service and Gender CAS Linah Jebii Kilimo has praised the role played by religious leaders in the fight against female circumcision and gender based violence in the country.
Speaking on Saturday at the makeshift Methodist Church in Tiaty, Baringo County, Kilimo said it is impressive that the church is playing A greater role in fighting vices which hinder the development of girl-child education.
"I am impressed that the Methodist Church in Baringo County despite being in makeshift is really working hard to eliminate FGM in that area. This is the true service to God and humanity," Kilimo said.
She said it was laudable that churches were committed to eradicating FGM and gender based violence in areas which were still prevalent.
“Religious leaders are respected people in the society who are well placed to educate the people on the dangers posed by FGM. I am optimistic that their resolve to join the war against the practice will greatly help in eradicating the vice ” she said.
Kilimo said it is time all Kenyans took the lead in ensuring issues hindering the development of girl child education were eliminated.
She said many families because of high levels of poverty were marrying off their daughters at a tender age in the hope that they would be be rich, thus undermining their development.
"The truth of the matter is that girls from such backgrounds are left under the mercy of nature. We need to closely monitor parents who marry off their girls at tender age so that we help the girls and take action against such parents," she said.
Meanwhile, the CAS commended the government for the efforts to initiate development projects that can end cattle rustling activities along the Kerio valley.
She said economic independence, which involves empowering the youth would make them busy at all times and that there would be no room for to engage in acts of lawlessness
Kilimo said idleness among the youth remains a major social problem that makes them to engage in acts of lawlessness.
She urged the youth to shun consumption of illicit brews and the third generation liquors and instead engage in income generating activities that can uplift their lives.
Kilimo said the national and county governments would work closely in exploring lasting solution to the problem of FGM and gender based violence.
She said there was need to reintroduce agricultural activities like the ones that the Red Cross Kenya implemented along the Kerio valley, that greatly reduced acts of lawlessness.
"We should have more agricultural projects that can make the youths busy at all times along the valley. There will be no room for cattle rustling activities," she said.
Reverend Lowana Kemboi of Methodist Church in Tiaty, said the church would work closely with the government in ensuring cases of FGM which were rampant in the area were eliminated.
"As the church, we are working closely with all leaders in this area to ensure cases of FGM are eliminated. We must promote girl child education," Kemboi said.
He called on professionals from the area to educate the community on the dangers posed by FGM among other vices which hinder the development of girls and women.
He urged Pokots and Marakwets to embrace peace, saying they were brothers and sisters.