How 10-year-old Baringo girl was married off to three different men

A ten year old Baringo girl who had been married off to three different men has been rescued.

Her tale of torture at the hands of men almost twice her age is one among many in Baringo County.

The girl, whose identity has been concealed for her safety, is one of ten who managed to escape forced marriage.

They are from Loyamoi, Akoret and Kangurial, where according to their culture, young girls undergo Female Genital Mutilation and are married off in exchange for livestock.

This particular girl from Tiaty Constituency was married off to her first husband when she was only eight years old.

She was however unable to conceive which made her then husband beat her up prompting her to flee.

The Baringo girl returned to her parent’s home but this did not deter them from looking for another man for her to marry.

She was soon married her off to someone else.

This time round however, her stomach began to swell and they thought she had finally become pregnant.

Unknown to them, the girl was suffering from Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar; a disease that causes enlargement of the spleen.

Judy Seguton, a missionary, said she rescued the girl while on an evangelist mission in Tiaty.

She narrated how she faced opposition from the community and one time her life was even in danger.

“I was almost shot by a gun as I tried to fight FGM and early marriages,” she said.