Protecting Kenya’s Daughters: SAKI joins forces with the Anti-FGM Board

In a significant step toward safeguarding the rights, health, and dignity of women and girls in Kenya, Save a Kenyan Initiative (SAKI) held a strategic partnership meeting with the Anti-FGM Board to strengthen collaborative efforts aimed at eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The high-level engagement brought together two committed leadership teams: SAKI’s delegation led by Chairman Mr. Mohamud Ibrahim, and the Anti-FGM Board team led by CEO Mrs. Bernadette Loloju. Discussions focused on building a structured framework for joint action against a harmful practice that continues to threaten the wellbeing and future potential of thousands of Kenyan girls and women.

Since its establishment, the Anti-FGM Board has made notable progress in combating FGM through public awareness campaigns in hotspot counties, community empowerment initiatives, psychosocial support services for survivors, and the development and strengthening of policy and legal frameworks. The Board’s goal of achieving zero tolerance for FGM by 2030, in line with global commitments, strongly aligns with SAKI’s mission of community-driven development and the protection of vulnerable populations.
The meeting explored urgent and emerging concerns, including persistently high FGM prevalence in Northern Kenya, the worrying resurgence of the practice in parts of Central Kenya, and increasing cases of cross-county and cross-border FGM, where families evade enforcement by moving girls across administrative or national boundaries. The leaders also examined the strategic role that faith-based institutions can play in the 22 hotspot counties, the need to strengthen implementation of existing legal and policy frameworks, and practical pathways to achieving zero tolerance by 2030.

Despite meaningful progress, several barriers continue to hinder eradication efforts. In some regions, deeply entrenched cultural and religious beliefs sustain the practice, making sustained community engagement and education essential. The challenge is further complicated by cross-border FGM, which undermines enforcement mechanisms, as well as the medicalization of FGM, where some practitioners illegally perform the procedure. These realities underscore the need for cross-sector coordination, stronger accountability, and long-term social norm change.
FGM carries severe and long-term consequences for women and girls, including life-threatening complications and fatalities, chronic infections and reproductive health problems, increased risks during childbirth for both mother and child, and lasting psychological trauma. These human costs reinforce the urgency of coordinated, rights-based action that prioritizes prevention, protection, and survivor support.

SAKI and the Anti-FGM Board identified priority areas for joint intervention that build on the strengths of both organizations. Planned collaboration includes targeted community advocacy programs in the 22 hotspot counties, integrated outreach that combines SAKI’s community engagement expertise with the Board’s technical and policy leadership, and community dialogue initiatives designed to shift harmful social norms. The partnership will also work to strengthen referral and support pathways for survivors.
SAKI calls upon community leaders, religious institutions, government agencies, civil society organizations, and all Kenyans of goodwill to join this collective effort. Together, it is possible to ensure that no girl is subjected to FGM and that every woman and child in Kenya lives with dignity, safety, and opportunity.

SAKI remains committed to building stronger and safer communities through education, empowerment, and strategic partnerships. For more information about SAKI’s work in conflict resolution, youth engagement, and community protection, or to support its initiatives, the organization welcomes engagement from partners and supporters.