FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND HOW IT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH AND THE RIVER BETWEEN

Blossoms of the Savannah is a 2008 novel by H.R Kulet which focuses on the issue of FGM and the quest to end it among the Maa people among other issues. The River Between is a 1965 book by Ngugi wa Thiong'o which addresses among other things the question of female circumcision and its impact on the society.

Female Genital Mutilation is one of the traditions that has received a lot of criticism because of its impact on the psychological and physical well being of the girl child. Despite the heavy campaigns against it, the vice has continued to thrive among certain communities in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. As a practice, the vice is carried under cultural or religious viewpoint. In this avenue, some anthropologists condemn those against the vice for cultural infringement. However, Scientifically, there are no known benefits accrued from the practice.

In practice, female circumcision takes different forms. Firstly, there is clitoridectomy which involves the partial or complete removal of the clitoris. Secondly, some communities practice, excision which takes out both the clitoris and the labia minora (vaginal edge). And finally, there is infibulation where the entire vaginal orifice (opening) is closed either by stitching or holding the cut areas together until when the wound is healed.

The description of the above practices are grotesque which means, the practice itself is beyond reproach. Frankly speaking, there is no pleasure achieved in doing this unless one is totally a sadist. Seeing how the practice is cruel, various factions including writers have taken it upon themselves to condemn the vice. Among them are Ngugi wa Thiong'o and his contemporary H.R Kulet.

In Blossoms of the Savannah, Kulet opens up by relegating FGM to the Village, in this case, Nasila Village (pg8) at the heart of Maasai land. By confining it to the village, the writer tries to isolate Nasila from the outside world. The roads to Nasila are impassable that even Oloisuduri's expensive four-wheel drive has to slow down (pg193). In this context, the author is trying to tell us that those who practice the tradition are living far away from the real world where campaigns have made it impossible for the vice to exist. We can also notice this when the scene changes to the wilderness Olarinkoi calls home (pg238). Although this does tell us that the culture of the Knife is still hanging by the thread, it does give any hope of its abatement given the fact that it will take years before campaigners against FGM would make it to Inkiito where Olarinkoi leaves.

Ngugi, on the other hand, places the setting of his book on two antagonistic ridges; Makuyu and Kameno. Kemeno is traditional and supports female circumcision while Makuyu seems to have adopted Christianity and its de facto leader, Joshua leads the campaign against the primitive Kikuyu cultures. By placing the two hills head to head with each other, Ngugi seems to be exploring the advantages that can be accrued when such differing views are brought to the table and discussed to forge a united front. He is exploring the fact that there are some elements in the new religion that have been misunderstood and seem to create a rift between the two ridges. Also, there were aspects of Kikuyu culture that had been misunderstood. It is only by merging the good and getting to understand the aspects of both cultures that a semblance of unity could be realized.

Kulet uses urban raised young women to shed light on the evil of FGM. Raised in Nakuru, Resian and Taiyo are confronted by FGM as a 'foreign' entity, something alien and out of their league. Their desire is not to undergo the practice but fight it with all their might. They believe that they are beyond the practice, in fact, their plan is to join university and pursue their dream careers. However, they are faced with the harrowing challenge of a greedy father and a non-committal mother. Both the girls become sacrificial lambs on the altar of their father's quest for status in Nasilian Society.

Having been written in 1965, The River Between is an intoxicating book of extremes. Joshua represents Christian extremism and Kabonyi traditional extremism. In the middle, there is Waiyaki, Nyambura, and Muthoni. Muthoni, Joshua's daughter attempts to bridge the gaping hole between Makuyu and Kameno. In order to achieve this, she elopes home and moves to Kameno for circumcision rituals. Although she successfully undergoes the rite, it costs her a dear life. But before she dies, she tells Waiyaki who was by her side that she is proud of having become a woman in the ways of the tribe and also a Christian. She never renounced her Christian faith, and neither did she want to lose her grasp on the Kikuyu traditional even if she had to pay the ultimate price.

Discussing a thorny issue like FGM requires wit and careful understanding as displayed by the two authors. Kulet, treats his subject as something alien to him notwithstanding the fact that he reveals more than he claims to know. By introducing FGM to the protagonists, he leads us into understanding why the Nasilian people engage in the practice, their views about modernity and various other issues. Furthermore, he wants us to see who the real custodians of the culture of impunity are. In this case, evil pillagers and extortionists like Oloisudori, greedy and money hungry weaklings like Parsimei Ole Kaelo and bitter traditionalists led by Enkoiboni- Olarinkoi's mother. Indeed, we can also include the losers like Olarinkoi who feed on the desperate the lonely and the lost like Resian.

Ngugi, on his part, takes the middle ground. He believes the issues can be ironed out and a reasonable practice is put in place. He cautions the extremisms being built around Christianity and tradition especially the practice of FGM. By Killing Muthoni, he shows the devastating effects of the practice and also taking of hardline stands. Waiyaki believed if Muthoni had been taken to Siriana Mission Hospital on time, she could have survived. however, the extremists believed it to be a curse and a punishment from God.