Female genital mutilation remains a harrowing shadow over Kenya’s progress, lurking in the silence of normalised tradition. While the country has legally banned the practice for over a decade, the enforcement of these laws is crumbling against the weight of deep-rooted social expectations.

This disconnect between policy and reality is not just a gap; it is a chasm where justice for thousands of young girls disappears. The national prevalence of FGM has dropped to 15 per cent, but this statistic hides a brutal truth: in counties like Wajir and Mandera, the cut is still almost universal, with rates soaring above 95 per cent. For the girls in these regions, the law is a distant rumour, and protection is non-existent.

The Illusion of Progress

We often celebrate awareness campaigns as victories, but awareness without accountability is a toothless dog. The practice has mutated, moving underground or crossing borders to evade detection. Families, driven by the intense pressure of marriageability and social acceptance, are finding medicalised ways to continue the cut.

The sobering reality is that banning the blade has not stopped the bleeding. Justice remains an elusive concept for survivors who need more than just a law on paper; they need:

• Comprehensive Protection: Immediate safety networks for girls fleeing the cut.
• Psychosocial Support: Long-term healing for the trauma that resurfaces years later during childbirth or marriage.
• Accountability: Prosecution of perpetrators to end the culture of impunity.

A Call for Male Allies

The fight against FGM has long been siloed as a women`s issue, but the silence of men and boys is a loud endorsement of the practice. Changing the narrative requires dismantling the definitions of masculinity that demand a cut woman for a wife. Until men stand up to say a woman`s worth is not written in her scars, progress will remain fragile.

“As Kenya races toward its 2030 goals, we must pivot from rhetoric to rigorous action. Zero tolerance cannot just be a slogan while girls in high-prevalence counties continue to suffer in silence,” warns a leading anti-GBV advocate.