U.S. envoy attacks female circumcision in Kenya

KILGORIS, Kenya (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Kenya attacked the practice of female circumcision on Saturday, saying local communities must denounce it.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in the east African nation, where the government estimates about a third of women has suffered the procedure.

Among some communities, like the Kisii and Masaai, almost all girls are cut. Proponents say it reduces sexual desire and keeps women faithful.

"FGM kills girls due to bleeding and infections," U.S. envoy Michael Ranneberger told several hundred residents of Kilgoris, a town in hilly, rural west Kenya where the practice is rife.

"It kills women by increasing the risk of complications during childbirth, and it kills babies through complications."

Efforts to end FGM in Kenya have focused on education, policing and the promotion of alternative coming-of-age rituals for young women, including retreats and counseling.

Traditional dancers ululated and clapped as Ranneberger arrived, while schoolboys put on a play about the dangers of FGM at the gathering on a local football pitch.

Victims of the practice gave heart-rending accounts.

"The other women threatened me if I did not do this. We must stop this. Young girls are living in fear," a Maasai girl in her early teens said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Ranneberger said he realized female circumcision was a culturally sensitive topic in parts of the country. "But it is one about which we nonetheless need to speak out," he said.

Kenyan girls, particularly in rural societies, are cut at the age of 10 or younger, to prepare them for marriage at around 14. "This is not an upward path to a brighter Kenya, but rather works counter to efforts to combat poverty and despair," Ranneberger said.