What usually happens
Most child marriages are stopped at the chief's office or the school gate, not in a courtroom. A protection order from the Children's Court can stop the ceremony and place a girl somewhere safe.
The law that protects you
- Marriage Act, 2014, s. 4
- A person under 18 cannot marry, and a marriage involving a child is void.
- Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act, 2011
- FGM is illegal, and so is taking a girl out of the country to be cut.
- Children Act, 2022
- A child has a right to be protected from harmful cultural practices, and chiefs and the State must intervene.
What you can do
- 1.
If a marriage or a cutting is being planned, tell a trusted adult immediately and contact the Sub-County Children's Officer.
- 2.
Report to the chief, the police gender desk, or call Childline on 116. It is free and confidential.
- 3.
A court can issue a protection order to stop the marriage and place you somewhere safe.
- 4.
You can refuse. A marriage you were forced into has no legal effect, and you can go back to school.
If you are refused
If the chief, the police or a school treats it as a family matter, insist that it is a criminal offence. Ask for the OB number in writing, and take the matter to the Children's Officer and the courts. Rescues and safe places are arranged through the Children's Department and 116.