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I come from Western Kenya, which is populated mainly by the Luhya group of Bantu. These people circumcise their male children. Most of them, like the Tiriki and Bukhusu (sub-tribes within the Luhya) hold very elaborate circumcision ceremonies periodically to celebrate the circumcision of their sons.
These ceremonies are very elaborate as they represent the boys ‘coming of age,’ their transition from childhood to early adulthood. The children are usually kept in seclusion for a period of up to two weeks before and after the actual ‘cut’ - the first week to prepare them psychologically, and the second to instruct them in the ‘wisdom of their tribe.’ Other issues covered include their responsibilities as young adults of the tribe, their kinship links and even issues of sexuality. Of late, HIV/AIDS information is also covered. There is a very rigid feeding regime enforced which ensures that the boys heal very fast and return to school in good time.
This region of Kenya happens to be one of the economically marginalized regions of Kenya. Poverty is rampant. Malnutrition is common among the child population (as it is in the adults). Opportunistic diseases including HIV/AIDS are therefore very common. This is the case despite the circumcision of males.
Neighboring the Luhya Bantus in Western Kenya are the Luo people in Nyanza Province. The Luo have also been economically marginalized since Kenya’s independence, even more than the Luhyas because of their perceived ‘opposition politics.’ The Luo do not circumcise their males. They have some of the worst human development parameters (the infant mortality rate in the region is one of the highest) in the country. Any honest observer knowledgeable about the link between malnutrition and immune deficiency would not be surprised to find that the area also has a lot of AIDS victims.
Research studies done in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa would have us believe that circumcision is protective against the HIV. How then do they explain the high prevalence of HIV infection in Western Kenya and in other similar populations which practice circumcision? This is an issue that needs further evaluation. I would therefore like to support the decision taken by the Luo Council of Elders’ in pleading for voluntary rather than forced circumcision.
In recent years, news coming from South Africa indicated that some boys had bled to death after circumcision during the hunger period. Who would take responsibility for such an eventuality in Luo Nyanza if circumcision were enforced in the region? The Luo may not traditionally be well-versed in and prepared for the necessary feeding regime and other prophylactic practices typical in cultures where circumcision is the norm. I must add that even in the Luhya community, where circumcision is the norm, one hears of casualties from the procedure.
It is my humble submission that circumcision could be a red herring and that unless studies which control for malnutrition are undertaken, it is unfair to force additional stressors onto a people already under so much stress. They should be allowed to make the choice in peace.
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Norma
I am an African community health worker interested in cultural practices. This is because I have come to believe that culture is a foundation for development. I am especially interested in food culture for the same reasons.
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