•Garissa court will this week handle cases involving women and children.
•According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2018, about 9.5 million girls below the age of 18 undergo FGM every year.
Garissa judge Abida Ali Aroni has ordered courts in the area to fast track gender-based violence cases involving women and children for service delivery.
Aroni said the Judiciary is committed to ensuring victims get justice in time.
She spoke on Wednesday at the Jarirot Child Rescue Centre when she launched this year’s Judicial Service Week.
The event was organised by Girlkind Kenya, a local NGO that deals with GBV issues.
“We are here to show our commitment and support for the 16 days of activism against GBV. I assure you that the courts will fast-track these cases,” Justice Aroni said.
She said all the Garissa court will this week handle cases involving women and children.
This, she said, will speed up the process of delivering justice to victims.
Justice Aroni who was accompanied by Garissa resident magistrate Shadrack Otuke emphasized the importance of stakeholders working closely to complete the chain of justice.
“We all have a role to play in the justice system. We require cooperation from parents, guardians, teachers, activists and courts,” she said.
Girlkind Kenya chief executive Fatuma Hakar said violence against women is getting worse and more has to be done from the different stakeholders to curb the situation.
“Boys are sodomised. We have to act before things get worse,” Hakar said.
“The state and other stakeholders need to redouble their efforts to fight the retrogressive cultural practices happening within our communities.”
She urged residents to stop hiding perpetrators of violence and shun resolving matters through traditional ways.
North-Eastern region national gender and equality commission coordinator Abduwahab Ibrahim called for efforts to reduce the disparity in girl-child education, end FGM and early marriages.
Unicef child protection specialist Zeinab Ahmed appreciated the role of community volunteers in the fight against GBV.
She however said more needs to be done.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2018, about 9.5 million girls below the age of 18 undergo FGM every year.
The Somali community leads at 98 per cent.
Early marriage and defilement stand at 60 and 50 per cent respectively.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris