State and non-state actors in the gender sector have called for concerted effort in addressing alarming cases of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the country.
Deputy Inspector General Administrative Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, speaking during a visit to Nanyuki policare, a one-stop shop for preventing SGBV incidents in Laikipia County, said 13 per cent of women and 34 per cent had experienced sexual violence and physical violence, respectively, since the age of 15 years.
“It’s alarming that 578 femicide cases have been reported last year, an increase of 8 per cent,” Masengeli said.
“The National Police Service is committed to addressing gender-based violence; it is our intent to ensure, at one point, we will have a gender desk in all the 47 counties to address the gender issues,” Masengeli said.
At the same time, he said that there will be a transformation of police stations to boost efficiency in addressing SGBV in a professional and seamless way.
Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu said women were at risk of SGBV due to limited resources in the county to support the gender programmes.
The Nanyuki policare, established in 2024, has recorded 500 cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault and emotional abuse, and out of these, 200 were resolved, 50 are underway and 50 other victims are receiving legal aid and counselling.
REINVENT Programme Chief of Party, Jaki Mbogo, revealed that it was costly affair in treating SGBV cases; thus, there was need for collaborations.
“The cost of treating one case of SGBV, according to the Gender and Equality Commission, is about Sh44,000 from the point of entry until they can access justice. As a result, most people opt not to pursue it since it’s expensive,” she said.
Reducing Insecurity and Violent Extremism in the Northern and Coastal Regions of Kenya (REINVENT) is a 5-year programme that aims to enhance Kenyan capacity and capability to address inter-communal conflict, weak community-police relations, violence against women and girls, violent extremism and election-related violence.
She added that the Policare concept is designed to lower the cost of accessing justice for SGBV victims in a dignified way since some shy away from reporting for fear of stigmatisation.
The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, reiterated the UK Government’s commitment to supporting SGBV victims in the country.
Wigan applauded the National Police Service for their commitment to protecting women, children and other vulnerable members of the communities in Kenya, pledging his government support in the gender sector.
The Nanyuki policare, which is one of a kind in the country, is staffed with judicial officials, clinicians, counsellors and police and is a desk intended to assist SGBV victims under one roof.
The state-of-the-art facility was launched in 2022 and constructed at a tune of Sh9 million, supported by the National Police Service, REINVENT Kenya, the UK government and other partners.
By Muturi Mwangi
