Men who suffer sexual and gender-based violence have been urged to report to the police to have the culprits prosecuted.
Kiambu subcounty deputy commander of police Titus Macharia said although cases of men having their reproductive organs chopped off by their partners have reduced, they are still being reported in some areas.
Further, Macharia said some men have also been facing sexual assault and shy away from reporting due to fear of stigma.
But the police officer said failure to report such cases only serves to encourage them and condemns the victims to live with trauma.
“Sexual and gender-based violence is not only for the women, men are also victims and are beaten and assaulted, and the police have a responsibility to assist them,” he said.
“Come forward and seek help. Get counselling. Don’t shy away. You will not be laughed at. The police understand that the rights of women and men are equal and you will be helped.”
Macharia said some men are denied the right to access their children after separating with their wives.
This, he said, leads to numerous incidences of violence and even deaths.
He, however, hit out at men who abdicate their parental responsibilities, leaving women taking care of children.
“Whether or not you have separated with your wife, you are obligated by the Children Act to take care of your offspring. The Act states that parental responsibility should be 50:50 for both parents even if they are not staying together,” Macharia said.
He also pointed out that cultural beliefs have exacerbated cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the county.
Some communities, the administrator said, view women as inferior and treat them as property, especially after paying off their dowry.
Speaking during the flagging off of a walk to mark the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Kiambu town, Macharia cautioned residents against violating each other’s rights based on their gender.
“Your wife is not a property. She is your partner. The constitution gives us all equal rights,” Macharia said, calling for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to stem SGBV cases.
Venazio Olympia, the county gender and affirmative action director raised concerns over the high prevalence of suicides among young men that she attributed to failure to speak out when they are facing challenges.
The situation is worse when they face SGBV and are unable to seek physical and psychological help.
“Men do not talk and we need to encourage them to speak out their minds to someone. We also need to encourage fathers to hold their sons’ hands and be talking to them to protect them,” Olympia said.
She said survivors of SGBV require legal aid, psychological counselling and medical care to heal and rebuild their lives.
“Every-day should be a step towards ending SGBV. Every voice raised must contribute to the powerful movement for justice and equality,” Olympia said.
Evelyn Onunga, the county head of the office of the Director Public Prosecutions urged SGBV victims to preserve evidence to help bring perpetrators to book.
“In any scene of crime, the victim has evidence, the scene has evidence and even if there are objects used, they have evidence. Let us be keen to look around and collect our evidence,” she said.
Nominated MCA Pacifica Ongecha, however, noted that cases of
violence against women far exceed
those against men but called for all
to contribute towards ending SGBV.
