- The Bill proposes the provision of a minimum package of healthcare services.
- The Bill by Nominated MCA Wanjiru Kariuki also wants City Hall to set up safe houses in each of the 17 subcounties.
Image: FILE
Sexual and gender-based violence continues to increase in the country, with Nairobi alone recording 3,716 cases between January and June this year.
Some 3,450 cases were recorded last year, as per the data from the Kenya Health Information System.
In 2019, at least 2,023 cases were reported, marking a decrease from 2,357 sexual violence cases in 2018.
In 2017, being an election year, 2,021 cases were recorded, while 1,997 cases were recorded in 2016.
Despite the rising cases, there is no single safe house financed by the county government in Nairobi.
However, the Nairobi City County Sexual and Gender-Based Management and Control Bill, 2019, is seeking to ensure victims have shelters and get the proper care they need and justice.
Sh68 million has been set aside towards the provisions of safe shelters.
Last month, City Hall announced it would contribute Sh18 million, while the office of the Nairobi Woman Rep would give Sh50 million to construct safe shelters at Mji wa Huruma from this month.
To ensure the victims are safe as their cases are being prosecuted, the bill by nominated MCA Wanjiru Kariuki also wants City Hall to set up safe houses in each of the 17 subcounties.
“The county government will ensure budgetary allocation for the facilities as well as a witness protection programme," it reads.
An SGBV management committee headed by the Gender and Youth Affairs executive will be established within 12 months of operationalisation of the bill.
Members will include the county executive members for youths, officers from finance, health, security departments and Inter-religious members who will be appointed by the governor.
The appointments will be done in consideration of persons living with disabilities.
The committee will ensure there is sufficient and adequately trained staff to carry out planned interventions, undertake and promote research on sexual and gender-based violence and ensure data collection as a basis for driving high-quality and more relevant service development.
The proposed law vests the responsibility of sensitising the public to the impacts of the vice on the county government.
City Hall will also be required to promote education on the causes, consequences, means of prevention and response to SGBV in public youth polytechnics and other county-run vocational training institutions now that it was passed by the assembly last month.
This will also be applied to both public and private levels at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
“In conducting the educational and information campaign, the county government shall collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure the involvement and participation of victims and perpetrators of SGBV,” the bill reads.
It proposes the provision of a minimum package of healthcare services.
“The county government shall ensure better access to healthcare, whether public or private, and medical insurance providers facilitate access to healthcare services for the victims without unnecessary impediments,” it says.
-Edited by SKanyara