Chiefs and their assistants have been urged to be directly involved in combating gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancies.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiag’i said girls as young as 13 and 14 years are getting pregnant.
He said the issues have now become a security problem which has led to cases of school dropouts and a surge in HIV/AIDS.
Matiang'i said the issue is affecting the populations’ productivity and the investment done by the government and Kenyans.
“We have been very effective, especially on 100 per cent transition and on FGM, and I urge you to be also very alert on the issue of gender-based violence,” he said.
The CS also said beating up women is not only criminal, but also outdated and has been interfering with the progress and successes of women.
He asked the administrators to use their public forums to talk to people so they can abandon the culture of wife battering and any other form of gender-based violence.
The culture where elders convene Kangaroo courts and impose fines of animals such as cows and camels after children are defiled and impregnated will also not be tolerated, he said.
The CS said chiefs and their assistants found to be entertaining such practices in their areas will be sacked.
“You should report such people to the police so that they can be apprehended and taken to court. We must now be serious about our girl children and the violence against women in our society,” he said.
He also called on the administrators to be neutral but firm when dealing with politicians, especially when ensuring there is law and order.
They should not be intimidated by politicians engaging in criminal activities in the name of political campaigns, he said.
Matiang'i assured the administrators of protection from political bullying and intimidation, especially for promoting official government policies.
The ministry, he said, will also be working with other partners in government to deal with people spreading hate messages, political intolerance and incitement to violence on social media.
However, he called on the chiefs to do their best and curb this at the community level.
He asked them to respect the President and serve their country diligently.
“He (President) took the oath to protect the country and lead us and so we have to follow his orders. I have no apologies to make on that particular statement and position,” he said.
Matiang’i spoke Wednesday when he met with National Forum of Chiefs at Caritas in Nyeri town where the 12,000 chiefs and National Government Administration Officers were deployed in readiness for the polls.
About 150 representatives of chiefs from all over the country attended the forum.
The CS said 10,000 motorbikes will be procured as an addition to 5,000 already bought to facilitate mobility for chiefs and their assistants.
Scheme of service of NGAOs is also being improved by the government, he said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
