Busia: The Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has urged all Kenyans to be tolerant and accommodate each other with a view to preventing gender-based violence. Speaking to the press after gathering public views from Busia County residents, the group’s leader, Lina Chebii Kilimo emphasized that gender-based violence affects both genders, although women tend to suffer more.
According to Kenya News Agency, Kilimo highlighted the importance of reverting to traditional African values where children were considered a community responsibility, to help uphold societal values. She urged parents to fulfill their roles and prevent situations where young girls resort to offering sexual favors for basic needs. Kilimo also pointed out that domestic workers from neighboring Uganda have been implicated in several defilement cases, and she praised local civil society organizations (CSOs) for their efforts in addressing such issues.
Kilimo expressed concern over the increase in defilement and sexual violence cases in Busia County, citing incidents where older men defile young girls and young men rape older women. She also noted the rising mental health issues among men, potentially linked to unemployment and contributing to femicide cases. Youths in the region have voiced concerns over online sexual violence leading to femicide.
Tracy Anyango, Busia County Representative for Youth Alliance for Change, identified men as the primary perpetrators of femicide and GBV. She called for government action to declare femicide a national disaster and suggested creating a list of sexual offenders to deter future crimes. Mary Makokha, director of the Rural Education and Empowerment Program (REEP), highlighted corruption in handling GBV cases and the discouragement victims face from community and religious leaders.
Makokha attributed some GBV cases to harmful cultural practices and stressed the need to unlearn these traditions. She emphasized the significant role of CSOs in combating GBV, as opposed to government efforts, and called for the implementation of existing policies to ensure public input is acted upon. Sarah Akinyi, Busia County Coordinator of End Femicide Kenya, also urged the government to recognize femicide as a national crisis, advocating for stringent measures against perpetrators.
