In a tragic turn of events, Corporal Mushote Boma, a police officer in Kenya, was stoned to death by a mob of youths after rescuing girls subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) in Elgeyo Marakwet county.
Activists and local leaders condemned the murder, expressing concerns about its detrimental impact on the ongoing fight against FGM in the country.
The government-owned Kenya news agency reported,
“Angry youth raided the police post in a bid to get the girls, who had been rescued by police after they were genitally mutilated, where they overpowered the officer who was on duty and stoned him to death before burning his body using a mattress.”
Tony Mwebia, founder and executive director of the Men End FGM Foundation, a not-for-profit organization working against FGM and child marriages, expressed his shock, stating,
“It is shocking and disheartening that in the 21st century we can kill a police officer rescuing girls undergoing the inhumane act.
“Were these men who killed the policeman aware of why they were protecting the backward culture? Do they have any idea of the harm caused by the cut?”
Local administrator, speaking on the attack on law enforcement officers, remarked, “Killing a police officer in the name of FGM worries me,” emphasizing the need for robust conversations and public sensitization to effectively combat the practice.
According to The Nation newspaper, approximately 70 girls were rescued by the police, with human rights activist Viola Cherono stating that up to 500 girls had assembled in the forest to undergo the practice.
Bernadette Loloju, CEO of the Anti-FGM Board in Kenya, acknowledged the incident as “an isolated incident beyond human thinking” but emphasized that it should not undermine the overall fight against FGM.
She stressed the reduction in FGM cases in communities strongly advocating for the practice and the ongoing engagement with cultural gatekeepers, primarily elders, to address the issue.
Mwebia emphasized the importance of changing strategies and garnering political goodwill, stating,
“The war against FGM will only be won if we don’t waste resources in conferences but change our strategies.”
| Vanguard Newspaper
