NAIROBI, Kenya -                                             Series of reports in Kenya this month stated that an American missionary had undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice that has been illegal in the country since 2011, it was gathered.

But the missionary, Teresa Estes, told AFP that the reports were false and damaged have her credibility in her work to save girls from FGM.

Estes said she was considering legal action against the TV station that first made the claim. Kenya’s anti-FGM board also stated that FGM had not been part of the ceremony.

According to FP, A report by K24, a private TV station, stated that 60-year-old Teresa Estes had agreed to undergo FGM before a traditional wedding ceremony.

Despite the practice being illegal, FGM is still carried out by rural communities in Kenya, such as the Pokot community in the Rift Valley area.

Estes had previously lived among the Pokots for almost a decade and decided to hold a traditional wedding ceremony with her American husband in July 2019.

But the erroneous report stated that she agreed to undergo FGM as part of the ceremony.

“Cheigar agreed to undergo the cut and fully immerse herself in Pokot culture,” a journalist said, referring to Estes by her supposed nickname "Cheigar".

The video on K24’s YouTube channel was viewed more than 4,000 times, before it was later deleted.

The description read: “They say home is what you make it. Two foreign missionaries of American origin living in Baringo county today caused a stir after they tied the knot under the Pokot culture, including undergoing Female Genital Mutilation in order to fulfill the marriage customs. The colorful ceremony attracted a huge turnout of eager residents who were curious to witness the cultural spectacle.”