Civil Society organizations in Nyeri have called for the immediate establishment of a government-run rescue Centre for Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors.
In a petition presented to the Nyeri County Assembly and the County Commissioner Josphat Biwott, the human rights activists have taken issue with the lack of a safe emergency shelter despite the county recording close to 2,000 GBV related cases in the last two years.
They have argued that the absence of a dedicated safety facility has left GBV victims without access to an emergency shelter where they can seek when the incidents happen.
They say that the situation is further exacerbated by the lack of a centralised GBV data management system as well as a poor GBV mechanism that makes it difficult to track cases across health facilities, police stations and courts something that they noted exposes the survivors to repeat violence and long-term physical, psychological and socio-economic harm.
“Women, girls and youth in vulnerable circumstances face heightened exposure to repeat violence and long-term physical, psychological and socio-economic harm in the absence of a dedicated protection facility. Due to the fragmented reporting system linking health, security and judicial institutions, victims are exposed to case attrition, secondary victimization and diminished access to justice,” noted the activists in their petition.
Data collated from public health facilities within the county show that 1,013 GBV cases were recorded in Nyeri county in 2024 and in the following year, 2025, the county recorded a total of 906 GBV cases. As of February, this year,26 GBV cases have been reported.
Out of all the eight sub-counties, Nyeri Central sub-county has continued to record the highest number of cases. For instance in 2024, some 703 GBV cases were recorded in the sub-county. However, the numbers reduced last year to 512. Othaya sub-county reported 128 GBV cases in 2024 but in 2025, these numbers rose to 159 cases. Kieni West sub-county saw a surge from 38 cases in 2024 to 147 in 2025.
The data also shows a worrying trend of rising sexual violence cases with records showing a stay rise in the last three years. According to the data, the county recorded 335 cases of sexual violence in 2022.The numbers rose to 361 in 2023 and in 2024, the number rose yet again to 371.Last year, the county recorded a staggering 435 cases of sexual violence.
In their petition, the civil society actors note that the figures only represent cases reported through institutional channels. They have warned that these numbers could be higher and likely underestimate the actual scale of the crisis.
They also criticized the county government for failing to implement a key policy commitment made under the Nyeri County Gender Development Policy 2021-2025 which had proposed the establishment of a county managed GBV safe house. They have also taken issue with the county government for failing to act even after the issue was highlighted during the 2025 Nyeri Youth summit where the youth representatives called on the county government to prioritize the establishment of a rescue Centre for GBV victims.
“The trajectory is not downward. It is not flat. It is rising, year after year, while the policy response remains absent,” the activists said in the petition.
The activists are now asking the county assembly to approve a Sh50 million allocation in the 2026/2027 County Budget or in the Supplementary Budget 2025/2026 which will go towards the establishment and full operationalisation of the rescue Centre.
They have also asked the county assembly to strengthen oversight by requiring the County Executive to provide a report to the Assembly on the implementation status, timelines and resource requirements within 14 days of adoption of the petition. Similarly, they want the assembly to direct the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Gender and Social Services to publish quarterly reports from the Nyeri County GBV Technical Working Group on the status of GBV response in the county.
They also want the County Government to be compelled to establish and maintain an integrated County GBV Data Management System which will consolidate case data and service records from public health facilities, the National Police Service, the Judiciary, civil society organizations, safe houses and all GBV service providers operating within the county. This, they say, will enable real-time monitoring, evidence-based planning, and annual public reporting to the County Assembly on GBV trends and response outcomes.
“To every official who holds public trust on behalf of the women and girls of this county, the time for words has passed. The time for budgets, for structures, for a GBV Rescue Centre that women and girls can actually walk into and find safety is now. Policy commitments without budget allocations are not commitments, they are performances and the women of Nyeri deserve more than a performance,” say the petitioners.
By Wangari Mwangi
