Campaigners told Reuters that the girls are being taken across the border to evade prosecution.

Kenya criminalised FGM in 2011 with a minimum punishment of three years imprisonment and a $2,000 (£1586) fine.

Activists say cross-border FGM is becoming "an increasing trend" especially in December during the school holidays.

Tony Mwebia from the Men End FGM campaign told Reuters:

Quote Message: No one is going to suspect anything. The girls come back [from school holiday] and are kept at home after the procedure to recover until school starts - no not even the teachers are able to detect anything."

No one is going to suspect anything. The girls come back [from school holiday] and are kept at home after the procedure to recover until school starts - no not even the teachers are able to detect anything."

An estimated 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, which usually involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia, according to the UN.