Kenyan Parliament Members Admit to Circumcision

In the western Kenyan city of Kisumu on Monday, three government ministers and a member of parliament revealed they had undergone male circumcision. Five additional MPs announced their intention to have the procedure -- all part of an effort to promote the practice, which research has shown cuts the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by 60 percent.

The politicians, members of the Luo tribe, had previously kept their circumcisions secret, fearing a political backlash. While Kenya's Luhya people practice ritual circumcision as a rite of passage, the Luo do not. Prime Minister Raila Odinga was among 500 people taking part in the meeting, and though he did not reveal his own circumcision status, his brother, an assistant minister, has agreed to have the procedure.

Some Luo elders expressed their disapproval. They feel that the government dismissed their cultural concerns by offering free circumcisions in Nyanza province. "I don't think it will be a solution to fight the spread of AIDS," said Joe Asila, a pastor and Luo elder. "Other communities practice circumcision, but there is still a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS."

More than 80 medical personnel have been trained in circumcision at the Lumumba Health Center in Kisumu. Nearly 1,000 men have been circumcised since March, and the government hopes at least 2 million men in the province will eventually have the operation.

Opposition among the elders may gradually wane. "People must be assured that this is purely a medical cut and does not in any way mean that Luos have changed their cultural values," said Riaga Ogalo, chair of the Luo Council of Elders.

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