The Siaya County Director of Gender, Mrs. Mary Ochola has told area Chiefs and their Assistants not to interfere with Gender Based Violence cases.
The Director said cases where Chiefs and their Assistants were compromised by those accused of GBV were still rampant, adding this was common in cases of rape against women and girls, where some of the administrators quashed the cases before reaching law courts, by influence of bribes, family relations and social status of the accused.
She noted that in some cases, the administrators convened kangaroo courts to end the matters casually, or intimidated witnesses from going to present evidence in court.
To ensure that suspects were arrested, arraigned in court and due legal process followed to the end, was a key responsibility of the administrators, said Mrs. Ochola.
She said her office had already conducted training for the Chiefs and their Assistants to give them knowledge on prevention of GBV, and their role in the court process.
The Director also urged parents to be vigilant this festive season on their school girls, to ensure they did not fall victims of rape, early pregnancies or Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).
She was speaking on Tuesday at a public event in Siaya town to mark the end of 16 days of activism against GBV.
By Paul Olale
