'Gender forced on babies at birth': The struggles of intersex persons

Speaking in Migori on Friday, they said many intersex people have been hiding because of the stigma they experience in society.

This starts at the family level before reaching the general public level.

“A mother gives birth to an intersex child and they want to force a specific sex on the child. The disadvantage of this is that at adolescence, they might take on traits of a different gender,” Mwase Kibebe, a human right activist based in Migori County says.

The activists said that there is need for the government to put in place appropriate policies that protect their rights as some have not been able to find work because of their condition.

Samuel Achola, a pastor in Migori, said, “As a church, we do not isolate them and we do not talk ill about them. God created them that way and they are perfect just the way they are.”

According to the 2019 census, Migori County has a total of 35 intersex individuals. 

However, non-governmental organizations that work closely with the intersex individuals claim that the number is higher, but most individuals are scared coming out because of stigma.