Mwingi: Two kids aged 5 and 7 years die in circumcision gone wrong

Two boys from Lundi village in Mwingi East Sub County died last night after a botched circumcision.

The two boys aged 7 and 5 were circumcised on Wednesday night with reports saying they bled profusely without any help.

Their parents who profess allegiance to the Kavonokia sect- which forbids faithfuls from visiting hospitals- refused to take the kids to hospital.

Area Chief Patrick Mwaniki has issued a stern warning to parents, forbidding them from taking their kids to traditional circumcisers.

The 70-year-old circumciser who bungled the cuts has since been arrested, with police officers beginning probe on the matter.

The bodies of the two children were taken to the Mwingi Level Four Hospital.

In June, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the government had reached out to traditional elders to have the annual circumcision ceremonies halted to avert the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Is it better to have a postponed initiation ceremony than have somebody to initiate or carry out an initiation ceremony and kill our young men.”

“This is the debate that is going on, but I can tell you that it is actually prohibited to think of carrying out such an activity prior to the agreement with the ministry of health and perhaps protocols being developed,” the Health CS said.