Sabaot elders in Mt Elgon stormed out of an International Women's Day celebration after they were told to abandon female circumcision or be prosecuted.
The elders walked out in protest from the celebration and vowed to continue with the practice.
Cheptais district officer Julius Otieno cut short his speech and closed the meeting after it threatened to turn rowdy. He was the chief guest.
The elders numbering about 150 accused the DO of interfering with their culture, arguing that circumcision was a transition from childhood to adulthood.
They said it held the secret of harmonious marriages.
They dared those "out to destroy their customs" to arrest them, saying that uncircumcised women could not give birth smoothly.
Earlier, Mr Otieno complained that the dropout of girls from school was worsening due to the early marriages associated with circumcision.
Out of the 2,017 pupils who dropped out of school, 60 per cent were girls, he said, adding that only 10 girls sat for KCSE out of the 400 candidates in the division.
* Turkana District Commissioner, Mr Njenga Miiri, has advised women whose husbands are unfaithful to divorce them.
Addressing the International Women's Day in Lodwar, Mr Miiri said unfaithful men infected their wives with Aids and advised women to say no to such spouses.
In response, women leaders acknowledged the advise and resolved to wage war against Aids.
They also asked women to stop immoral affairs.
Mr Miiri also warned schools against expelling pregnant girls.
* Eight girls expelled from school after they were accused of being circumcised have been readmitted.
Tears flowed freely at a meeting to mark the International Women's Day in West Pokot as an ActionAid official said how he sought government officers to save the girls from further punishment.
ActionAid programme coordinator Titus Lotee said they were forced to storm the primary school situated 70 kilometres from Kapenguria Town.
The girls attend classes between Standard Four and Six.
Local MP Samuel Moroto who attended the meeting, could not hold back tears and said parents who allowed their young daughters to get married would be punished.
* Fifty traditional surgeons in North Rift quit the practice of circumcising women on Monday.
They announced this during the International Women's Day celebrations in Eldoret.
The day was marked with a procession and plays condemning female circumcision and violence against women.
Mrs Susan Leman, 55, said officials of Kenya National Committee on Traditional Practices had educated her on the disadvantages of female circumcision, hence her decision to quit the job.
She appealed to the Government for loans so that they could engage in other economic activities. We carry out circumcision because we don't have any other source of income and we do it to eke a living out of it," Mrs Leman said.
The celebrations, held at Bredan College of Catering grounds in Eldoret, were attended by than 100 women. They were led by the co-ordinator of Kentrap, Ms Mary Jusca. | 
