Vihiga County has taken a bold step in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) with the opening of a functional Rescue and Recovery Centre in Sabatia sub-county.
The facility, located at Vokoli in Wodanga ward, becomes the second of its kind in the Lake Region after Kisumu, with Homa Bay set to follow.
The initiative was funded through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), under patronage of the County Women Representative Beatrice Adagala.
The centre is designed to provide a safe haven for survivors of abuse, offering shelter, medical care, counselling, legal assistance and even skills training to help them rebuild their lives.
Speaking during the launch, Vihiga Governor Dr. Wilber Ottichillo described the day as historic, noting that the idea had been in the pipeline for nearly a decade.
“This is a special day as we achieve a vision that has been on the drawing board for the last eight years. As a county, we wanted to put proper structures in place and we are also at an advanced stage of formulating a Gender-Based Violence Bill,” said Dr. Ottichillo.
He expressed concern that Vihiga ranks among the top three counties with the highest prevalence of GBV in Kenya, calling for urgent preventive measures.
“People often shy away from going to court to testify. Prevention is our best strategy. We must go down to the community and keep talking to them consistently,” he added.
The governor linked the rising cases of abuse to alcoholism and drug abuse, urging for cooperation with NACADA to curb the menace.
“GBV is spread by alcoholism and drug abuse. We must close down illegal chang’aa and alcohol outlets that continue to operate unchecked. If we don’t deal with them, these cases will persist,” he cautioned, calling on the incoming County Police Commander Daniel Chirchir to take a decisive action.
The governor further tasked National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) including chiefs, as well as ward administrators to map out hotspots and provide weekly reports on chang’aa dens across the county.
On his part, Johnstone Kuya, in charge of Strategic partnership at the embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya, lauded the county leadership for ensuring the centre was operational.
“This issue is no longer going to be treated as a private matter. The Dutch government is here to support the county in addressing it,” he said.
UNDP Kenya Project Manager, Mohammed Jaafar praised the deliberate planning behind the initiative and called for teamwork.
“It warms our hearts that there is deliberate planning. Non-state agencies must continue working closely with the county government to ensure survivors receive the help they need,” he said.
County Commissioner Florence Sitawa emphasized that the fight against GBV must involve the entire community.
“From the design and operation of this centre, solutions must be community-centered and homegrown. It is about all of us coming together, mapping out partners, and going back to the drawing board, whenever challenges arise,” she said.
The centre comes at a critical time, when Vihiga is grappling with alarming levels of teenage pregnancy, incest and other forms of abuse. Officials say these issues are not only straining families, but also threatening the county’s future.
The new facility is expected to play a central role in reversing the trend by offering survivors a lifeline and helping the community find sustainable solutions.
The launch brought together a wide range of stakeholders including government officials, development partners and other community leaders.
By Rose Wasike and Sarah Mwanisa
