Tharaka-Nithi Woman Representative Susan Ngugi has challenged the reported 27 per cent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalence in Igambang’ombe, calling for credible and verifiable data on the practice.
Ngugi, who is eyeing the Tharaka-Nithi gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election, said she had not heard of anyone in Igambang’ombe being arrested by police or chiefs for practising FGM, nor of any child being rescued after undergoing the practice.
The remarks follow a recent Anti-FGM Board sensitisation and community engagement in Kathwana, which brought together government representatives and members of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Social Protection to discuss efforts to combat FGM.
Among those present were Anti-FGM Board Chairperson Ipato Korema Surum and committee members Edith Vethi Nyenze, the Kitui West MP, and Amina Abdullahi Dika, the Tana River Woman Representative, as well as Ngugi.
Ngugi questioned the alleged FGM preference in the area say, “If you say Igambang’ombe has 27 per cent FGM, where are the people who have been arrested? Where are the parents who have been arrested?” she posed.
She warned that some non-governmental organisations could be using claims of FGM in Igambang’ombe to attract donor funding, urging stakeholders to ensure that information presented about the community is accurate and verifiable.
Ngugi said portraying Igambang’ombe as an area with widespread FGM without credible evidence could unfairly damage its image, urging stakeholders to base interventions against harmful cultural practices on reliable data.
She stressed that she does not support FGM, describing it as a harmful cultural practice that should be eradicated and called for anyone found practising FGM to be arrested and to face the full force of the law, saying harmful cultural practices should not be tolerated.
On development, Ngugi called for greater government attention to Igambang’ombe, which she described as a semi-arid area that had not benefited sufficiently from development programmes.
Ngugi said the area required targeted government interventions to address its development challenges and improve residents’ livelihoods.
She spoke in Kathwana, Igambang’ombe Constituency, while supporting the Karori Self-Welfare Group with tents and 100 chairs. The event attracted a large number of residents.
Ngugi urged stakeholders to focus on the development needs of Igambang’ombe while ensuring that data used to plan and implement programmes accurately reflects the situation on the ground.
by Dickson Mwiti and Christine Ngitori
