• City Hall will contribute Sh18 million while the office of Nairobi Woman Representative will fund Sh50 million.
• A major problem in the fight against Sexual and Gender-based Violence is lack of financing.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Nairobi doesn't have a single public safe house for raped, abused and battered women and girls.
However, the county government is to spend Sh68 million to provide three safe shelters at Mji wa Huruma. Construction will begin in September.
City Hall will contribute Sh18 million, while the office of Nairobi Woman Representative will fund Sh50 million.
Nairobi County Women's GBV caucus leader Waithera Chege on Monday said construction of safe houses is part of long-term county plans to help survivors.
“Some of the SGBV victims don’t have a place to go even after they are treated in the hospital. These safe houses will provide shelter for them to feel safe,” she said.
“We are estimating that by next year March one safe shelter will be ready,” Waithera added. There was no word on shelter for boys.
Currently, City Hall is only offering integrated programmes within hospitals such as Mama Lucy, which is a one-stop clinic where holistic care is given to survivors of rape.
It receives referrals from Dandora, Kayole, Pipeline, Tassia and Embakasi.
Since it opened in 2015, Mama Lucy has treated about 4,000 SGBV clients, half being under age 18.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services has strengthened the provision of GBV services. It has set up 21 facilities providing integrated GBV services in the last year.
They are called Tumaini clinics as they help to restore hope and dignity to traumatised survivors.
The clinic was founded by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Medicines Sans Frontieres in 2016.
In 2020, NMS facilities reported 6,262 SGBV cases; 972 cases or 15 per cent were treated at Mama Lucy.
Of these, 50 cases involved legal access, nine perpetrators were arrested, two are still in remand, four men have been convicted.
During the second quarter of 2020-21, the hospital managed 326 new cases and 258 survivors; in the third quarter, it handled 179 new cases and 137 survivors.
In the last three months, Mama Lucy received 179 new SGBV cases and 137 survivors, ranking it the number one Gender Violence Recovery Centre in the country.
Waithera, who is also the deputy majority whip at the assembly, said Nairobi records increasing cases of SGBV.
She said most victims are reluctant to file reports with authorities. Women from both informal settlements and better homes are victims.
In the short term, before the main shelter is completed, NMS and City Hall will offer Makadara and Kayole to act as safe houses, hosting 170 and 70 people, respectively.
NMS director general Mohammed Badi directed his officers to identify all idle county houses to be converted into safe houses.
Lack of financing is one of the major problems in the fight against SGBV.
A multi-agency team has been formed to source for additional funding.
“We can have the safe house but without financing, we will just have an empty hall. The houses need money for maintenance and hiring staff," Waithera said.
The team comprise both national and county governments, NGOs and partners such as Education and Awareness that offer private shelters.
(Edited by V. Graham)