‘Those who use circumcision to gauge leadership skills are fools’ – Raila
Mr. Raila Odinga, the leader of Azimio La Umoja, has expressed disapproval towards certain communities in the country that treat the practice of circumcision as an extremely critical and non-negotiable matter.
Mr. Odinga expresses regret that certain communities within the country hold the belief that an individual should not assume a leadership role solely based on the status of their circumcision.
On Monday, January 15, Mr. Odinga addressed local leaders in Teso North as he bolstered support for his ODM party. He remarked that focusing excessively on circumcision, a practice not prevalent in the majority of African countries, is unwise.
During the revision of the Kenyan constitution at Bomas of Kenya, Mr. Odinga mentioned that the Teso community expressed a desire to separate from Bungoma County, citing the disturbance caused by the noise during the circumcision period as one of the reasons.
“There was a problem. The Teso said that they don’t want to be in Bungoma County because when the Bukusu are doing the circumcision, they start causing trouble by forcefully circumcising the older men from the Teso community,” Mr Odinga said.
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He seized the chance to criticize certain communities that use the matter of circumcision as a criterion for selecting their leaders.
The leader of the ODM mentioned that in Uganda, circumcision is predominantly practiced by only two tribes on the other side of the border.
“This thing about circumcision is only in parts of Kenya. It is a small thing that is more of a religion that came through Ethiopia and entered Kenya through the Bantus. The Bantus in Cameroon are not being circumcised, Bantus in South Africa they are not being circumcised. So circumcision is a small thing, and anyone who takes it to be a big issue is a fool.”
Mr. Odinga emphasized that the time has come for individuals, including those from the Teso community, to assume leadership roles regardless of whether they have undergone circumcision or not.
Additionally, the leader of the ODM party expressed strong disapproval of the practice of female circumcision in certain regions of the country, describing it as a malicious act. He emphasized that those engaging in such activities should be held accountable under the law.
‘Those who use circumcision to gauge leadership skills are fools’ – Raila
