The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Nationsl Administration Kipchumba Murkomen has alerted that those who commit acts of early and forced marriages in the Northern Kenya region will not only be arrested but also prosecuted.
Speaking in Wajir County for the Jukwaa La Usalama County Security Forum, North Eastern Chapter, Murkomen enumerated the issue of early marriages among the list of major crimes in the area and further explained that very often, underage girls are being given away in marriage forcibly.
He through the police force ordered the policing forces to hunt down and prosecute the offenders. “There is no place for early and forced marriages in our society. Anybody who will be found to be forcing underage girls into marriage will not only be arrested but also charged,” commented Murkomen.
He also asked for the communities’ help with the security agencies in the struggle against terrorism, which is the major threat along the Kenya–Somalia border, in the North.
He also advised the National Police Service, National Police Reservists, Kenya Defence Forces, and intelligence officers to combine their efforts to achieve security in the country. “Security necessitates partnership. We must construct a strong bond between communities and security agents to protect our people and our borders,” he said.
Murkomen reiterated the commitment of the government to ensuring that the vulnerable are protected while fighting terrorism in the crisis-ridden area.
