Bomet County Commissioner Geoffrey Omonding has attributed the rising cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the region to consumption of illicit brews.
Omonding said in the last three months over 1000 illicit brewers and consumers were arrested and charged in Sotik and Bomet courts.
He said Konoin and Bomet East sub counties were leading in the illicit trade and cases of GBV.
The County Commissioner revealed this in Bomet town during the visit of Chief Justice David Maraga adding that those arrested were fined a total of Sh5 million for their offences in Sotik and Bomet law courts.
“Illicit brew is still a headache to us in Bomet but we will not relent until we stem the menace,” Mr. Omoding said.
He said chiefs and their assistants were ordered to continue with the crackdown within their areas of jurisdiction.
Omoding said cases of defilement and rape were rampant pointing out that most of them emanated from alcoholism, adding that said some of the murder cases that have been reported within Bomet were also connected to the same vice.
The county governor Joyce Laboso said there was need for combined efforts to fight illicit trade. She said many women were suffering as a result of Gender based violence due to alcoholism.
“Women in Bomet particularly bear the brunt of alcoholism as they are always on the receiving end and it is time to bring this to a close,” said Laboso.
She reached out to judiciary to intervene through custodial sentences for notorious illicit brew dealers.
“The only way is to deal harshly with notorious brewers so that we stem out the violence meted on women and young girls who become easy target for those abusing the brew,” Laboso insisted.
She said her administration had gone out of its way to set up a Sh10 million rehabilitation center to help young addicts to reform.
“As part of my agenda we have an ongoing rehabilitation center to help in reforming alcoholic addicts that has proved a threat to the coming generation,” added Laboso.
She said they have romped in NACADA in waging war on addiction within the county, noting that professionals were facing a threat of losing out due to the menace.
“Professionals in various fields are affected and sadly most are residents of Bomet and if we do not contain the situation we will lose big,” added Laboso.
By Joseph Obwocha
