Girl, 12, rescued from two marriages, all in a month
Narok Peace Ambassador Joshua Kaputa (left), Maji Moto chief Rimoine Maiyone and the 12-year-old girl, who was rescued after being forcefully married off in Narok. [Robert Kiplagat, Standard]
A 12-year-old girl has been rescued by authorities after she was married off to two men in a span of one month in Maji Moto village, Narok South.
The Standard caught up with Naisula (not her real name) yesterday at the Narok Children’s Department offices after she was rescued from the second marriage, this time to a 35-year-old man.“I did not know him before and I did not love him. I told my family I didn’t want the man, but my father said the man could feed us and that I would get married to him,” said the Standard Six pupil at Enkare-Nairowua Primary School.Her first marriage to a 51-year-old man lasted just over two weeks.
Naisula aspires to be a doctor, but when she turned 12 a few weeks ago, her father married her off to the elderly man.He told her she was too old for school and forcefully married her off to the man that Naislula described as old. She was to be the second wife. “Our father had forcefully married off my two elder sisters and I was the only one remaining. When schools were closed he planned to marry me off,” she said.Naisula’s plea to be allowed to complete school fell on deaf ears. “Girls are born so that people can eat. All I want is to get my dowry,” the father reportedly told her.She fled to a relative’s house, but her father caught up with her before forcefully taking her to the old man.
The man had promised to give four cows for dowry, but since the local administration was monitoring the girl’s father’s movement, the handover was shelved to a later date. The Maasai community gives four cows to signify that marriage has taken place.Naisula tried to resist, but she was beaten by her male cousins, who accused her of dishonoring the family.She told The Standard she deserted the first marriage after two weeks. “I escaped and since I could not go back to my father’s home for fear of being reprimanded, I eloped with a 35-year-old man, who was married,” she said.“Mimi nataka kuendelea kusoma nikuwe mtu wa maana kesho. Nataka kuwa daktari. Naomba serikali inisaidie nirudi shule (I want to continue with my studies and be a dependable person in future. I appeal to the government to help me return to school),” she pleaded.
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