Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has waded into the topic of male circumcision insisting that it is not important.
Speaking in Busia, Raila argued that the practice was only introduced in Kenya by religion and it is not widely practised in other regions.
Raila added that the practice should be made mandatory or be used to discriminate against individuals.
“Circumcision is only a Kenyan Bantu thing. It is a trivial matter that came with religion. It was introduced in Kenya to the Bantus through religion. Bantus in DRC do not circumcise same as in Cameroon and South Africa. Anyone that takes circumcision seriously is a fool,” Raila stated amidst applause from the crowd.
His sentiments come months after several cases of botched circumcision were reported in the country.
In December 2023, reports alleged that 15 initiates died due to complications related to circumcision.
The worrying trend caused concern among the health practitioners and custodians of culture who want the circumcision process and the environment where it is performed to be reviewed.
