Anew criminal justice report shows that Nairobi is emerging as the epicentre of sexual and gender-based violence, recording the highest number of cases in the country.
The 2023-24 report by the National Council of Administration of Justice says the capital recorded 2,800 cases during the period under review, far outpacing those recorded in other parts of the country.
The development buttresses the incidences of femicide reported, most of which occurred in the city and are linked to intimate partners.
Kiambu is in second place, recording 1,871 cases. Meru had 1640 cases, 1,486 in Bungoma, 1,357 in Nakuru, 1,024 in Kilifi and 1,096 reported in Machakos.
Mandera and Samburu had the least reported incidents, recording 98 and 97 respectively.
A total of 32,909 SGBV cases were filed with 30,877 resolved.
The city also leads in the number of resolved SGBV cases, with 2355 marked as sorted. Kiambu follows with 1,676 resolved cases, Nakuru at 1,499, Bungoma at 1,445, Meru at 1,305 and Machakos at 1,199. Others are Kilifi with 1,089 resolved cases, Uasin Gishu at 1,019 and Kisii at 1,001 cases.
The report says the sector has put a high premium in monitoring and dealing with the SGBV cases, citing its inaugural conference in October last year.
The NCAJ’s National Conference aimed to “facilitate rigorous and extensive discussions and stakeholder engagement in the fight against SGBV”.
The conference, which drew actors in the criminal justice chain, “demonstrated the Kenyan government’s commitment to addressing SGBV challenges”.
“The Conference focused on survivor-centred interventions and opportunities at the grassroots, reduction of bottlenecks to expedite the disposal of SGBV cases in Kenya, leveraging on innovation and technology global and regional lessons on addressing SGBV, emerging issues on SGBV and the required optimal interventions, and the socio-economic costs of SGBV in Kenya,” it reads.
The findings bolster calls by human right organisations that are agitating for the government to declare femicide a national disaster.
The Coalition of Grassroot Human Rights defenders says dealing with rising femicide cases, particularly by their intimate partners, should trigger a robust response from all government apparatus.
The lobby’s director Rachel Mwikali said declaring the vice a national disaster would mobilise resources from stakeholders to address it.
“We ask all state and non-state actors to desist from normalising femicide and start linking it to the right to life, the right of dignity, freedom from torture, freedom from degrading treatment and the right to assembly,” she said.
The latest police report shows 97 women have been killed over the last 90 days. Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lang’at, who released the report, said the trend required urgent intervention.
“This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused actions and collaborations to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in our society,” he said.
However, the NCAJ report says its campaign has yielded fruits. Some of the wins include development of county-specific SGBV laws and policies in Taita Taveta, Wajir, Meru, Nairobi, Embu, Makueni, Nandi, Kisumu, Kakamega and Migori.
Also, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reviewed the draft model guidelines
for Operational Grievance Mechanisms and developed a Guidance
Note for Gender Responsive Grievance Mechanisms within the business and human rights action plan