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Teachers boycott classes after faction forced them to undergo initiation rite
2008-03-24 10:20:12
By Adam Ihucha, Meru
A Faction of Meru tribesmen is reportedly undertaking a ``door-to-door`` night operation, searching and forcibly circumcising males in residences on the slope of Mount Meru, some 24 kilometers north-east of Arusha Municipality.
Arumeru District Commissioner Elias Wawa-Lali, admitted to have received complaints over the operation, which he described as `illegal`, and said was working over time to establish its authenticity.
``I`m arranging a meeting that will comprise local leaders and traditional elders as part of my fact-finding-mission, and then I will be in a position to issue an official statement,`` Wawa-Lali told `The Guardian` in an interview.
So far, reports have it that already the unusual operation has reached a number of villages namely, Poli, Nkoranga, Njani and now Juakali sub-location in Nshupu, near Usa-River.
But the majority of the victims mainly Meru tribesmen have opted to suffer in silence because the operation is traditionally rightful.
Narrating the episode, one of the victims who is also a secondary school teacher at Nshupu, Gilbert Kavishe alleged that the faction of 60 recently forcibly entered into his house demanding to inspect his private part to prove whether he was circumcised or not.
``It started as mere rumours, but on February 15 around 8:13pm, a group of between 20-30 year-old-youths stormed into my house near Nshupu Secondary School compound, demanding that I show them my private parts,`` said Kavishe, who is not from the area.
The teacher allegedly refused and insisted that they should sign an agreement before proceeding.
During the irreconcilable confrontation the group allegedly put off all the lights in the house and started insulting the teachers` community that they were uncircumcised and that they were `polluting` their sisters.
After almost a two-hour tug-of-war, the teacher successfully managed to escape and went to report the matter to Usa-River Police Station, about four kilometers east of the school and was issued with number RB/USR/IR/459/2008.
After a long staff meeting the following day, all male teachers decided to lay down their tools until their lives were secure and the perpetrators of the ugly operation were apprehended.
The other two teachers` victim of the so called `door-to-door` operation under Meru tribesmen are Paul Damian and Hassan Kalaghe.
Kalaghe said, ``the operation is so horrible, barbaric and that he will never forget the ordeal he underwent.
It is a very humiliating act so to speak; imagine strange people armed with traditional weapons invade your house demanding to undress you,`` he lamented.
The Nshupu Secondary School Headmistress, Bertha Marandu said the issue had already been reported to Arumeru District Commissioner, Elias Wawa-Lali, District Council Executive director Raphael Mbunda and Meru District Education officer.
``So we are now waiting for their action on the matter,`` Marandu told `The Guardian` over the phone.
As a result of such strange faction, nearly 500 students in Nshupu Secondary School are most likely to miss classes since the majority of male teachers do not belong to Meru tribe, hence afraid to be circumcised by force, according to the teachers.
``We feel insecure here in the village and beyond that the action is a deliberate violation of human rights and abuse of teaching profession,`` Kavishe noted.
Nshupu Village Chairman Mosses Pallangyo told `The Guardian` that his authority has already banned the customary faction`s operation in his area of jurisdiction.
According to Pallangyo, the faction`s rites are based in Meru customs and its operation actually restrict the carriers to target people beyond the tribe.
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