Athlete in race to rid Baringo of GBV and outdated practices

People are used to races where there are competitors with the ultimate goal of winning.

But for Ismael Kirui, 29, famously known as Kirui Kurui, an athlete from Kisok in Baringo Central, the goal was far much bigger.

He defied the odds to run for close to a month, covering more than 1,000km while traversing all the Baringo sub-counties toraise awareness of retrogressive cultural practices, including female genital mutilation, early marriages, violence against women and children, sodomy and homicides, among other cases in society. The practices are rife.

In November 18, 2019, he initiated the race with an aim to end the rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV) in the six sub-counties of Baringo, namely Baringo Central, Baringo North, Baringo South, Mogotio, Tiaty and Eldama Ravine.

The cases, he said, had also affected him first hand in the same year, having lost his elder sister who was allegedly battered by her husband. She later died.

"My sister was married to a family where there were frequent wrangles and one day, she was beaten and hit on the head; she suffered mental problems in the event. Her condition worsened and she later died, but her perpetrator was not arrested either."

Mr Kirui, who was based at Solian athletics camp in Eldama Ravine at the time, raised concerns that GBV cases in remote villages were being settled through ‘kangaroo’ courts, with victims left to suffer silently without getting justice. He cited rape, defilement and FGM.

"Through my sister’s ordeal, I vowed to champion to end cases of violence and ensure the victims speak out to get justice because many suffer silently, while some end up stigmatised forever. 

“You can imagine a child who has been defiled and the case is settled by village elders. You may settle the case, yes, but the pain and stigma inflicted on that child will remain forever, especially seeing the perpetrator roaming the villages freely," noted Kirui.

"You also find many of the victims with permanent disabilities due to violence meted out to them still living with the perpetrators in the same house. It is absurd and disheartening."

Mr Kirui, therefore, started the race dubbed 1000steps4Baringo, a 20-day campaign on cases of violence in the community. 

And in partnership with the county government, led by First Lady Ivy Kiptis, and the Nairobi Women’s Hospital, he birthed a gender violence recovery centre in Eldama Ravine. He traversed remote villages, covering 50km a day and championed the 16 days of GBV activism.

The route had been mapped out to cover religious  and community centres, and markets. Residents were rallied and sensitised.

With the help of counsellors from Nairobi Women’s Hospital, they emphasised the need to stop backward cultural practices and urged victims to speak up to get justice and end stigma.

"The race was not easy and it needed sacrifice... we were joined by local leaders, elders, students and residents at the stopovers where we held barazas... albeit with some resistance. I also sensitised the communities to the need to exercise restraint because some children have been rendered partial or total orphans owing to family wrangles that culminate in killings," he notes.

County children’s coordinator Omuse Otjom recently said many cases of sexual offences were recorded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Statistics by the children protection information management system show that more than 46 defilement cases were reported between March last year and June this year, with most victims being girls aged 11 to 15.

While traversing Mogotio, Kirui was informed of a 13-year-old girl who sustained injuries after being defiled by a person known to her. The man went into hiding.

"The case was reported to us by her guardian, and through the Nairobi Women’s Hospital, the minor was rescued and taken to Hyax Nakuru gender-based violence recovery centre for treatment and psychotherapy," said the ultramarathoner.

Through his efforts, the perpetrator was arrested, arraigned, convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison. Though he faces resistance in some areas, he is unbowed. He says boys are also being sodomised in schools and villages but fear reporting their ordeals, and some end up having mental problems due to stigma or, worse still,  contract sexually transmitted diseases.

After completing the 1,000km race in 20 days, they set up a GBV recovery centre at Eldama Ravine Sub-County Hospital where thousands of victims receive help, including counselling, treatment and referrals, courtesy of the Nairobi Women’s Hospital

He regrets that GBV also affects athletes. "It is high time the Athletics Kenya came up with a programme of educating them on how to manage finances to avert such cases. The death of Agnes Tirop almost ripped me off."

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