Children Officer calls for stakeholders’ input in traditional rites of passage

Nyeri,

Thursday October 26, 2023

KNA by Samuel Maina

Nyeri County Children Officer Kung’u Mwaniki has called for the inclusion of relevant stakeholders during planning of annual cultural rites of passage.

Mwaniki says due to divergent groups conducting such ceremonies in the country, it is prudent for children’s stakeholders to be part and parcel of such activities to ascertain the kind of education and doctrines being taught to the initiates.    

While acknowledging the crucial role being undertaken by such entities, the officer however cautioned that leaving them to operate freely may turn out to be counterproductive incase rogue groups or individuals decide to indoctrinate the candidates into harmful and extreme ideologies such as female genital mutilation.

“We laud the work that is being undertaken by religious groups, cultural formations and nongovernment organizations in taking our boys through these traditional rites of passage in a formal setup where they can learn together. Nevertheless, it would quite be in order if we get acquainted with what goes on during these cultural events. We do not want to reach a point where our boys end up being brainwashed with eccentric ideologies that are alien to our culture and traditional values,” he told KNA.

Early this week, National Gikuyu Cultural Association, Kiama kia Ma in Nyeri sought government’s intervention in weeding-out cultural groups which it claimed were planning to infiltrate and corrupt the initiation ceremony for young boys this year.

The cultural elders appealed to the security agents to stay vigilant and investigate the activities of the said groups which they are bent on causing cultural conflict and promoting outlawed cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The elders claimed that the intrusion of such groups had already taken place in Kajiado county and Mai Mahiu in Nakuru county and were planning to spread their tentacles into Nyeri.

 “There are groups which are trying to soil Kiama Kia Ma by copying and corrupting what we do. We might not be able to say everything that they are planning but we are asking the National government to take stringent action to stem that intrusion into our community,” said Nyeri county Kiama kia Ma chairman, Wachira Matheri when they submitted their petition to County Commissioner Pius Murugu.

They also handed a list of initiation centres in the eight sub-counties where they will be conducting the rite of passage.

The centres are Ihururu,Muthinga,Narumoru,Njui Igiri, Wanjee Camp,Othaya,Mathari and Tetu .

While explaining the Kikuyu initiation process, the elders also warned parents whose children will undergo the initiation ceremony in November to be wary of the groups which they said will corrupt the morals of the initiates by encouraging them to sway from Kikuyu cultural values.

The elders stated that only boys would undergo circumcision whereas the girls will be taken through counseling by Kikuyu cultural women (Nyakinyua).

 “The circumcision for boys is performed by doctors. The cultural elders counsel the young boys while our Nyakinyua will counsel and mentor girls. The counseling is aimed at building the resilience of youth throughout their lifetime that is why we are trying to protect our young boys and girls from being misled by these groups,” said Matheri.

In regard to the long school holiday that begins this week, Mwaniki has advised parents to be on their guard in order to avoid the risk of losing their children to harmful indulgences like drug abuse and alcoholism.

He has warned that owing to the lures that come with any extensive break, children risk being caught up in a web of antisocial behaviours with no one to guide them since every family is struggling to make both ends meet in the face of prevailing harsh economic times.

In addition, Mwaniki has appealed to Public Service Vehicle operators to avoid ferrying students in one vehicle while playing blaring music as this may create an ideal ground for them to indulge in harmful activities. 

“We are soon going to usher in the longest holiday season for our children and as parents we need to take our position and safeguard their welfare. This is the period when most children fall prey to reckless merrymaking festivities and end up messing up their lives. I appeal to all parents to ensure these boys and girls are fully engaged in constructive activities throughout the school holiday break and besides being counseled whenever they err. Let's keep reminding them that next year they will be needed back in school and encourage them to undertake their assignments and revise their work even as they enjoy that much needed break,” urged Mwaniki.

According to the 2024 revised learning calendar all schools are supposed to close by October 28 this year before reopening on January 8 next year for the start of the first term.

This will be the first longest holiday break for learners after the Covid 19 pandemic slammed brakes on all learning activities in 2020 forcing the State to suspend learning across the country for the next nine months disrupting the education of 17 million students.

Courtesy; KNA