Nyeri County Executive Committee Member in charge of Gender, Esther Ndung’u has raised alarm over the sharp rise in Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in the county.
Ms Ndung’u decried the sharp rise in the number of GBV incidents being reported in the county adding that Nyeri had joined the list of GBV hot-spots in the country.
The CEC noted that the county had identified Mukurwe-ini,Nyeri Central,Tetu and Kieni sub-counties as the most affected.
She said that most of the victims are between the age of 15-60 years with the youngest and the latest victim being a 9-month-old baby who was defiled by her father.
She noted that the elderly were also not being spared as the perpetrators are now targeting elderly women who live alone.
“Data and reports from the GBV centre at the County Referral Hospital, the police and the judiciary shows that these cases have really increased over the last one year and now Nyeri has been flagged as a GBV hot spot in recent times,”she said.
Ms Ndung’u also raised alarm over emergence of technologically facilitated GBV cyber-bullying, cyber-harrassment, extortion and online blackmail.
She also expressed her concern over the re-emergence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)in the county.
“We were at the verge of eliminating FGM but it is coming back.Some women are being advised by the traditionalists that they need to undergo FGM so that their infertility problems can be resolved.We have a lot of those cases going on to the point that you find women taking themselves to get circumcised,”she said.
She was speaking in Kiawara slums in Nyeri during the launch of 16 days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
This year’s campaign is led by the UN Women under the ‘UNITE to End Violence against women initiative’.
The campaign will run from November 25 to December 10 connecting with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Human Rights Day.This year, the global theme is UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.”
She further condemned the rise of informal dispute resolution mechanisms especially Kangaroo courts to resolve GBV related disputes.
While urging families to prioritise justice for the victim over protecting the reputation,Ms Ndungu said that such forums are being used to shield perpetrators from legal action.
“A lot of these GBV cases are perpetuated by people who are known to the victims.You find in most cases, because people do not want embarrassment in the family or the community, they resort to using Kangaroo courts to settle the cases and others cases you find the victims especially minors are coached on what to say and by so doing, the end up protecting the perpetrator instead of the victim,”she said.
She at the same time called for the enactment of stronger laws that ensure the survivors get justice within a shorter period of time as well as GBV-responsive budgeting to support awareness creation and support GBV-survivor programmes.
Nyeri Central Deputy County Commissioner Maina Ngunyi attributed the rising cases of GBV in the informal settlements to the rampant abuse of drugs and illicit brews.
Ngunyi also issued a stern warning to chiefs and Nyumba Kumi elders against attempting to settle GBV related cases outside the legal justice system.
“We are warning any Nyumba Kumi or chiefs that we do not want any Kangaroo especially on matters to do with defilement or any GBV related issues.Sometimes Kangaroo courts happen because the families or the relatives do not want to suffer embarrassment but we are telling them that the government will not tolerate this kind of settlement for GBV issues,”he said.
The administrator also encouraged members of the community to collaborate with the security actors to eliminate GBV, noting that they could contribute to the fight by volunteering information about suspicious cases.
“We have held several barazas asking them to come out without any fear and volunteer information because the government can only act or take action when there is information, “he said.
by Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
