Transformation and Continuation: FGC Among the Gusii People in Western Kenya

Abstract

Kenya has a long history of attempts to stop this practice. The challenge started at the beginning of the twentieth century with the activities of the Scottish missionaries and the colonial government among the local people, e.g., the Meru and the Kikuyu people (Hetherington 1998; Thomas 1996Thomas , 1998 Thomas , 2003. The controversy regarding FC has persisted for more than one century. Recently, legal frameworks such as the Children Act ( 2001) and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act in 2011 (Republic of Kenya 2012) provided for public engagement and advocacy to accelerate the eradication of this practice (Kimani and Obianwu 2020). However, even after illegalisation, the prevalence is still high among some ethnic groups such as the Gusii (Kisii) 1 people of western Kenya.In this study, the main purpose is to focus on changes regarding FGC among the Gusii. Throughout the research (conducted by the author in 1998 and 1999-2000) 2 it was observed that there has been a growing trend to medicalize FC, reduce the involvement of cutting and bleeding, and diminish the rituals. Yet in spite of the efforts to abolish it for decades, it maintains a high prevalence. I would like to examine the reasons for its continuation with reference to current research about the Gusii.1 "Gusii" is used as the ethnic group name in this paper. In their local language (in Ekegusii), the name of the group is Abagusii (Singular form: Omogusii). Geographically, the area name is Kisii i.e., Kisii County (previously Kisii District). 2 The author carried out the anthropological research in 1998 and then 1999-2000 for several months in some of the rural communities of Kisii Town, Kisii County. Research involved in-depth interviews with 5 nurses, 6 traditional circumcisers, 9 pairs of girls with their mothers as participant observers. There were 22 cases in December 1999. Interviews were also conducted with officers working actively for the eradication of FGM in Kisii Town, and members of a self-help group working to change the situation of gender inequality (including FC) in rural areas (more detailed information in Miyachi 2004Miyachi , 2014Miyachi , 2021.