Elders in Vihiga County are perplexed by the rise of incest among the youth, blaming parents for being negligent are ignorant and failing to instill cultural values in young people.
The elders claim young people are now having intercourse with close relatives and ending up siring kids with them, posing a serious danger to the continuity of the society and health risks that arise from inbreeding.
They say this rampant because parents have delinked their children from their relatives , making them fail to recognize the boundaries drawn in relations with people of close blood ties.
While gracing this year’s Maragoli Cultural Festival in Vihiga, the elders said there is rise of marriages between kins.
“Incest in our culture does not just involve family members but extends to those in the same clan. We have over 20 clans and everyone should know where they belong so that they don’t engage in incestuous relationships or marriage,” said John Lidede, Vihiga Cultural Society vice chair.
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