Nakuru County Government has launched the construction of a Sh90 million Gender-Based Violence (GBV) rescue centre where victims of gender violence can seek help in case of abuse.
The centre in Gilgil Constituency is the first of its kind in the devolved unit.
Chief Officer for Youth Gender and Sports Stellah Mwaura said the centre is a milestone for the county as it will provide shelter to victims of gender violence some who have been living on the streets, corridors and markets.
“This is not to say that we’re encouraging GBV in our society. We will not allow people to walk out of their homes on the slightest excuse to come and stay here. The days when people treated their spouses like personal property and assaulted them at will are long gone,” she said.
According to the Chief Officer, the first phase of the project will involve construction of a hostel, multipurpose rooms and Counselling cubicles.
Speaking during the official handover of the site to the contractor, Ms Mwaura disclosed that this will be the second facility of its kind in the country after the one in Makueni County.
Mwaura stated that the centre will be run by professionals who will conduct thorough vetting before admitting those seeking to be accommodated to weed out undeserving cases out for free accommodation.
Also present were Chief Officer in the Office of the Governor Mr Newton Mwaura and his Resource Mobilisation counterpart Mr Alex Maina.
She said the centre will help in tracking GBV incidents in the 11 sub counties to ensure a proper database that would inform government interventions.
“Our preliminary studies have indicated that most of those who get involved in GBV abuse alcohol and drugs. Others are still trapped in outdated cultural beliefs and they assault their wives as a way of asserting themselves,” she said.
Mwaura said, “We are engaging faith-based organisations, religious and community leaders to join hands with the national and county government in fighting this vice.”
She stated that the County Government would establish gender GBV rescue centres in all the 11 constituencies to limit violence and offer counselling services to victims of GBV.
“Our statistics indicate that the number of men who have been assaulted or experienced violence in the past one and half years has significantly gone up, though their number, compared to women, is lower,” Mwaura said.
“Wife battering, defilement, rape, early marriages and pregnancies were some of the forms of violence meted on women and children in the 11 constituencies,” the Chief Officer noted.
Mwaura indicated that Covid-19 disrupted the social order exposing Kenyans to various forms of violence ranging from physical and emotional abuse, child labour, transactional sex and child marriage.
“The rescue centre is intended to provide integrated care and strengthen service delivery for Sexual and Gender Based Violence survivors. The facility will not only be used as safe house but also as a place where the survivors learn new skills for income generation,” the Chief Officer pointed out.
Mwaura indicated that a significant proportion of GBV victims were women and that most of the cases were perpetrated at night when they had nowhere to run to.
“Our ultimate goal is to have the rescue centres in all the 11 sub-counties where victims can seek refuge for rest for the night as they plan on retributive steps, get psycho-social support and counselling to be able cope with their condition,” she noted.
She lamented that in some parts of the county parents were marrying off their daughters at a tender age, with school going girls being the most vulnerable to teenage pregnancy.
She urged community-based organisations and humanitarian agencies to supplement the county government’s efforts by setting up private rescue centres, especially in rural areas prone to such kind of violence.
The Chief Officer observed that most victims were forced to wait in police cells whenever they report such cases while others stay with female police officers due to lack of rescue centres.
“Police officers may be willing to help, but we all know that they have limited accommodation. It is up to us to identify partners and put up such facilities wherever possible,” she added.
By Anne Mwale
