World Vision Kenya has handed over a Child Protection Unit (CPU) that was constructed at a cost of Sh4.6 million, to the National Police Service at Matate Sub County in Kakamega.
The Child Protection Unit is the third one to be constructed by the NGO after one in Wajir and another one in West Pokot County.
Construction of the facility is in fulfillment of the current Kenyan Child Protection Policy that requires every police station to have a CPU.
The National Director of World Vision Gilbert Kamanga said the unit will not just be used as a rehabilitation centre but encouraged police officers to utilize it for outreaches in the region to reduce child abuse cases.
He said cases where a child is brought to the police and further abused within the police station will be a thing of the past as the CPU will have officers trained on child protection and the children will not mix with other offenders.
“This is a very important facility for the wellbeing of children, because when the rights of children are violated, they are brought to police and will have a safe space for examination and assessment,” Kamanga noted.
He also said that the construction of the CPU at Matete was influenced by a surge in child abuse cases with 26 such cases currently being active in court from Matete, 25 of them being defilement cases.
Kamanga said the current child protection policy of the government of Kenya provides room for the participation of the community in dealing with child protection and any other policing.
“Kenya is one of the countries in Africa which has a very vibrant community policing unit and within that unit, there is a Child Protection Unit which we are partnering with,” he explained.
The County Government of Kakamega welcomed the move by World Vision in constructing the facility to support efforts to reduce cases of child abuse that are on the rise.
The Chief Officer for Social Services, Children Services, Culture and Gender Vivian Ayuma said they are on course to complement the CPU by launching County Children’s Policy to provide a framework on child protection.
“We are also championing back to school for teen mothers. We already have 60 champions, one from every ward who are back in school, and we are using them as a voice for back-to-school teen mothers,” she added.
She also said that Kakamega County has allocated Sh5 million to equip a Child Rescue Centre that will be constructed in Lugari sub county in collaboration with World Vision to complement a Sexual Gender Based Violence Rescue Centre established at Shinyalu.
According to the World Vision National Director, the rising child abuse cases in Matete are linked to increased alcoholism and he believes that the CPU will be a critical facility to help in rescue efforts and outreaches as area MP Nabii Nabwera issued a stern warning that he will act to save residents from languishing in poverty due to consumption of illegal liquor.
The MP who was in attendance said he has noted some notorious brewers who have lured idle youth who frequent their dens and warned them to desist from the practice.
The MP was speaking at the same function after launching a Police station adjacent to the CPU constructed by the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
By Moses Wekesa and Melechezedeck Ejakait
