Three MPs from Kiambu have decried a rise in rape, defilement and gender-based violence cases in the county.
They said they will push for the law to be amended to ensure that victims get support and justice and guarantee proper punishment for the perpetrators.
The three lawmakers spoke separately Ruiru and Gatundu North subcounties. They are MPs Gathoni Wamuchomba (Woman Representative), Wanjiku Kibe (Gatundu North) and Patrick Wainaina (Thika)
Wamuchomba said she will sponsor an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act 2009, so victims can get the necessary psychological support, counselling, legal advisory support and financial aid.
The bill, she said, will also introduce stringent punishments for perpetrators and will compel the Judiciary to speed up GBV cases, especially rape and defilement.
She spoke during a stakeholders' meeting to discuss gender-based violence in Kiambu county. The event was organised by Groots Kenya in a hotel in Ruiru town.
“Cases of women being sexually assaulted, our girls being defiled and our boys being molested have increased drastically in Kiambu. The current law (Sexual Offences Act) has in the last 11 years not aided in zero-rating such cases,” Wamuchomba said.
She gave the example of an 18-year-old girl who was last month raped, eyes gouged and murdered in Rusigetti village in Kikuyu. The body of the Form 4 student was dumped on a maize farm. The girl had been sent by her mother to the shop, but she never returned.
MP Wainaina, who spoke in Mang’u village, Gatundu North, said it was worrying that perpetrators of rape and defilement cases were still roaming scot-free in the villages.
He cited two recent rape incidents in Gatundu North. In the first case, a mother of three was dragged from her house in Kang’oo village by three men, sodomised and gang-raped in a shamba two weeks ago. No suspect has been arrested.
A week later, another woman was raped in Gakoe village and the suspect is still at large.
“It has reached a point where our mothers and our girls can no longer work in their shambas because they fear being attacked by these individuals who are still living among us in the community,” Wainaina said.
The MP said stiffer punishment for the perpetrators would help end the vice. He said for this to be achieved, concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including the police, the Judiciary, the community and NGOs is required.
“Our police should up their game and bring the culprits to book. The law will not leave any leeway that will let the perpetrators off the hook. The Judiciary should speed up these cases and hand the criminals stiff penalties,” Wainaina said.
Kibe called for the establishment of gender desks in all police stations. She further said police officers should be trained on how to handle GBV cases, saying that most victims fear reporting their ordeals due to humiliation by cops.
“We need to train our officers to handle these cases professionally. Cases reported in police stations are fewer than the ones yet to be reported because victims fear being humiliated,” Wanjiku said.
Groots Kenya executive director Frida Wanjiku said the NGO will partner with Mastercard Foundation and the Kiambu government in implementing a resilience recovery programme for GBV survivors.
The survivors will be provided with shelter, emergency rescue services for at-risk women, psychological support, counselling, legal aid, affordable business loans and grant-in-kind.
“We will also sign an MoU with the county government of Kiambu to help us create and implement policies geared towards eradicating GBV in the region,” Wanjiku said.
Edited by A.N
