14-year-old girl rescued from being married off as third wife
A 14-year old girl was yesterday rescued from the brink of forced early marriage at Embulbul, Kajiado County.
The Standard Seven pupil was to be married off as a third wife to a man well-known to her parents after they had received a dowry payment.
The man, hailing from Isiolo County, had already paid Sh40,000 to the girl’s parents and what remained was for the parents to deliver the pupil to the him.
However, the plans were thwarted when neighbours alerted authorities who moved with speed to rescue the girl.
The minor, a pupil at Embulbul Primary School, had not reported back to school since schools opened for this term.
Embulbul chief Daniel Matingili together with children’s officers from Ngong Children’s Department swooped in and arrested the girl’s parents.
“We were alerted by neighbours of the family who reported the incident to me. I later alerted officers from Ngong Children department. The girl’s parents had made arrangements to take the girl to Isiolo where she was to be married of after receiving dowry payment of Sh40,000,” said Mr Matingili.
The parents of the girl have since been taken to Ngong police station waiting to be arraigned on Wednesday while the girl has been placed under the custody of Ngong children’s department.
The police are, however, still pursuing the man who made the dowry payment.