This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
On September 7, 2019, five women in Kenya's Central Imenti Constituency were sentenced to three years in jail for undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The women, Charity Karimi, Charity Muthoni, Winfred Kawira, Florence Kiende, and Caroline Wanja, pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced by Githongo Resident Magistrate Evelyn Wachira Ndegwa.
The court was informed that the women had planned to undergo the FGM procedure on different dates in 2019, with Florence Kiende undergoing the procedure on July 14, Caroline Wanja on August 29, Charity Karimi on July 14, Charity Muthoni on August 28, and Winfred Kawira on July 14.
As an alternative to serving their jail term, the women were given the option of paying a fine of Ksh 200,000.
John Tarus, Imenti Central Sub-County Commander, issued a stern warning to women seeking FGM services across the county, emphasizing that the practice is outdated.
