Nairobi: The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has urged the government to allocate dedicated funding for Policare centres to enhance support for survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). NGEC Chairperson Rehema Jaldesa emphasized during a visit to the Nanyuki Policare Centre in Laikipia County that the centres are currently under-resourced and lack sufficient staffing to deliver the services they were designed to provide.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Nanyuki Policare Centre was established in 2022 with a budget of Sh9 million, funded by the United Kingdom government through the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) and the National Police Service. Despite this investment, the centre has not fully realized its potential as a pilot project for similar facilities nationwide. Jaldesa highlighted the need for government intervention, noting that the centres should not rely solely on partnerships but require substantial public funding to operate effectively.
Jaldesa also called for the government to officially recognize the centres by gazzeting them and granting them semi-autonomous status, which would allow them to hire support staff independently to aid police officers in delivering justice. She stated that dedicating a separate budget line for Policare would help them fulfill their mandate more effectively. The commission also expressed concerns about expanding to new locations without first strengthening the existing centres to function as models of excellence.
Laikipia Deputy Governor, Reuben Kamuri, assured that the county government is committed to equipping the facility adequately to support victims of Sexual Gender Based Violence, highlighting the importance of a fully functional Policare centre in the region.
