City Hall is planning to construct gender-based violence centres, where victims will be advised and helped, county health promotion officer Lilian Mutua has said.
Speaking to the press yesterday at Nyayo House, Mutua said cases of gender-based violence had reached alarming levels, hence the need to end teh vice.
“We are going to work with our legal officers, police and other security personnel to help us solve the problem. Most of the victims don’t speak out, hence the need to create awareness,” she said.
She, however, said the county already has mechanisms of addressing the problem and securing victims at a safe place, but noted that many of those affected do not speak out.
Various studies show over 40 per cent of married women in Kenya have reported being victims of either domestic violence or sexual abuse.
She also said the county has adopted the Mwanaume Jipime campaign ahead of World Aids Day to reduce the level of HIV infections in the country.
“We need to educate people to know the importance of testing for HIV-Aids using the self testing kits so as to know their status for other issues to be controlled,” she said. Mutua noted that residents should avoid risky lifestyle such as having unprotected sex.
She urged the media to help the campaign succeed.
Those who will test positive will be given free drugs.