By Tony Wafula
NGOs, the church, the Ministries of Health and Education and youth advocates have decried increased number of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases among women and girls saying that it needs to be addressed as the electioneering period approaches.
Bungoma, Kilifi and Samburu have been mapped as the counties with a surge in the number of GBV cases. Bungoma County has also recorded a high number of teenage pregnancies which was attributed to the lockdown during last year’s cessation of movement due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking after holding a one week workshop at Best Western Hotel in Kisumu, Moses Chebonya, Gender director at Bungoma County Government noted that the main aim of holding a GBV training was to ensure that the message is spread up to grassroots to ensure that school going children and women are protected.
“If we continue ignoring and watching as our school going children are defiled and women harassed then we are ruining our future generation. We must get united and work as a team to ensure that women and girls are protected,” Chebonya noted.
Chebonya asked Bungoma County Women Representative Catherine Wambilianga to work together with the county government to ensure that Ndengelwa Rescue Center is well equipped and young girls given psychosocial support, counseling, youth friendly services and GBV survivors given a temporary shelter for healing healed.
“We must end the dispute over the Ndengelwa Rescue Center. Instead all stakeholders should be involved so that a lasting solution is reached,” he added.
Chebonya lauded Kilifi, Bungoma and Samburu County Governments for inking a working contract with Finland through Bilateral program gender based violence where the three year program aims at strengthening, prevention and response to gender based violence in Kenya and underscores the mutual areas of priority between the government of Kenya and Finland.
Collins Kibet, coordinator AMREF Health Africa in Bungoma County said that the organization will continue supporting Bungoma to ensure that GBV cases end.
“Bungoma is always on the bad record of teenage pregnancies and women harassment that propelled me to initiate the working partnership to ensure that GBV is ended,” Kibet said.
On his part, Sirisia MP John Waluke while addressing mourners in his constituency expressed worries on the rising number of GBV cases in Bungoma saying that the perpetrators should be arrested and arraigned in court.
“All stakeholders should join hands and advocate against GBV cases, parents should also report the cases to relevant authorities for action,” he said, Waluke asked NGAO to ensure that no family settles defilement cases in Kangaroo courts.
