Mombasa County Commissioner, Mohamed Nur, has issued a stern warning to perpetrators and abettors of Gender Based Violence in Mombasa, vowing not to relent until they are apprehended and charged.
The sentiments from the Nur come against the backdrop of two cases of femicide involving a Senior Officer of the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission, Ms Aisha Abubakar, who was brutally killed in Kisauni Sub-County and another case of a Ms Jane Achieng, whose headless body was found stuck in a gunny bag and dumped in a dumpsite in Likoni Sub-County.
Speaking during a public hearing convened by the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including Femicide, the CC confirmed that they have apprehended all the suspects in the gruesome murders, and the cases are ongoing in court.
“To those committing these crimes, especially defilement and sodomy, their days are numbered. Crime does not pay, we will arrest you from your hideouts,” said the CC, adding that they are investigating abuse incidents against children in orphanages.
To curb femicide cases in short-term apartments, famously known as Airbnb, the Commissioner said they have issued firm instructions to the owners to strictly register the details of all guests.
“They should not agree to give out rooms without knowing the details of the guests, so that if they are young girls, they can alert the area Chief and other authorities for swift action,” stated Nur.
Ann Ireri, a member of the Taskforce, admitted that they are rampant cases of rape, femicide, mental health and suicide among women and men, stating that the Taskforce will not ignore the cases but will delve deeper to ascertain the nexus between suicide cases and mental health.
“If we do not address them, a person suffering from mental health issues poses the risk of harming their family,” she said.
She further encourages victims of GBV to report abuse cases, whether in schools, Religious Leaders, Police or Hospitals.
“We have witnessed many cases that are unreported compared to the ones that are reported. We should report to get statistics, which will aid the government in planning and allocation of resources to the cases.”
She further challenged the community to collaborate with the government to resolve societal challenges.
“Although the internet has eased our work but many bad things are going on. Technology is good, but let’s be open to the dark side of technology, especially with our children, ‘Gen Z’,” she said.
Mombasa Women Representative Zamzam Mohamed called for the strengthening of GBV laws to firmly deal with sexual offenders and implement stringent laws to deal with offenders.
She advised parents to talk to their girls, not to be lured by sex predators and killers. “They should have dignity and not accept to go out with strangers they meet on social media.”
Muslim for Human Rights Senior Human Rights Officer, Topister Juma, wants the judiciary to expedite the hearing and determination of GBV cases. “Most cases drag on in court, taking years to be solved to the chagrin of victims,” she said.
Yusra Mohamed, an Advocate, says preventive measures should be instituted to prevent the occurrence of femicide through the setup of a response mechanism to report cases.
“If we nip it in the early stages, then we will not have femicide. If a person’s life is in danger and she reports the perpetrator will not be in a position to commit that particular offence.” Said Mohamed.
By Sadik Hassan
