Bomet County Commissioner Caroline Nzwili has decried the high number of cases of Gender based violence in the county.
Speaking in Bomet, Nzwili noted that in the GBV cases, women were mostly on the receiving end, through rape, FGM and battering by men who were hiding in the shadow of archaic chauvinistic cultural beliefs.
She noted that between January and June 2026, over 40 cases of GBV had been reported in Bomet county, saying this was a worrying trend which puts the welfare and health of the victims and the dignity of the entire women population at stake.
Nzwili further said that out of the 40 cases of violence against women in Bomet, 26 cases constituted to direct murder threats, which sets a bad precedence on the upholding of the sanctity of human beings and a gross violation of the constitution of Kenya.
The situation the administrator noted has been compounded by deeply rooted traditional practices like ‘kipkaa’, being local settlement of GBV cases, which protects perpetrators from facing the law.
Nzwili at the same time appealed to political leaders, especially the legislators to consider coming up with strict laws aimed at reducing GBV, including wife battering, rape and FGM.
She regretted that a significant number of GBV cases in Bomet are still quietly settled between families, where suspects pay small fines to avoid facing the justice system and urged residents to break the culture of silence and ensure that all GBV cases are reported to the police.
“Justice for GBV victims begins the time a case is reported to the police. When community members choose silence or private settlement over official reporting, they end up shielding perpetrators and deny victims the protection they deserve. We must break this culture of quiet suffering,” Nzwili stated.
By Linet Chepkemoi
