The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hanna Cheptumo, has called for concerted efforts from all actors in addressing an alarming rate of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Baringo County.
Cheptumo made the call when she presided over the commissioning of a GBV recovery centre at Baringo County Referral hospital in Kabarnet, where she noted with concern a troubling trend in the county concerning increased cases of defilement, rape, femicide and teenage pregnancies.
The CS was referring to a report from the Presidential technical working group on GBV which indicated that 37.9 percent of women aged 15-49 experienced physical violence and 41 cases of rape and 18 others suffered femicide in the year 2023 alone.
Cheptumo accompanied by Baringo governor Benjamin Cheboi among other officials was also briefed that 32 girls in Baringo Central Sub County suffered from teenage pregnancies.
According to the CS the report is putting the once cultured county in a very bad state and it is high time all actors retreat in order to cushion the vulnerable population.
“These are not just figures, they represent daughters whose futures were cut short, mothers whose lives were taken, children robbed off their innocence and families left in anguish,” she said.
Cheptumo while opening the one stop centre to support survivors in receiving medical care, forensic analysis, psychosocial counselling, legal representation called for strengthened coordination between health facilities, police, judiciary, Office of Director of Public Prosecution, the judiciary, children services and community based structures.
The CS who earlier led a five kilometres charity work in support of Kabarnet School for Deaf /blind children urged parents, teachers, religious leaders and community influencers to speak boldly on harmful practices that erode social cohesion and development in the society.
Governor Cheboi acknowledged the challenge which he said is an eye opener to his administration to shift focus from medical treatment to investing in psychosocial counsellors who normally attend to the survivors of GBV.
He added that his administration, apart from putting enough mechanisms in place to support such recovery centres across the county, will work in handy with multi-sectoral agencies to arrest the situation.
By Benson Kelio & Joshua Kibet
