Joint campaign targets matatu crews in war on GBV
Public service vehicles in Nairobi. A campaign against gender-based violence in matatus is currently underway following passenger complaints.
What you need to know:
- In May, matatu touts in Nairobi were accused of stripping naked a deaf woman over bus fare.
- The passenger could not express herself well, culminating in the unfortunate event.
In May, matatu touts in Nairobi were accused of stripping naked a deaf woman over bus fare. It is said the passenger could not express herself well, culminating in the unfortunate event.
Disturbing photos circulated on social media depict a helpless woman. The matatu plies the Nairobi-Meru route.
The incident sparked public uproar, with many Kenyans calling on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate the matatu crew.
Consequently, Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen issued a statement, promising to act.
In November 2014, a three-member matatu crew in whose vehicle a woman was stripped on the Githurai route were arraigned before a Milimani chief magistrate. The video clip captured showed the men stripping the woman and sexually abusing her.
Her pleas to be left alone fell on deaf ears as the men continued to attack her explicitly from all sides and tossed her about for being “indecently” dressed. The trio were in 2020 sentenced to death.
Driver Nicholas Mwangi, conductor Meshack Mwangi and petrol station attendant Edward Ndung’u were found guilty of robbery with violence and assault by then Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi.
The magistrate handed them another 25 years in jail for stripping and sexually assaulting the woman. In the judgment, he said the accused took part in a “senseless and uncouth act that they seemed to enjoy because they were cheering as they stripped the woman”.
Penalties
The Sexual Offence Act prescribes the minimum sentence for sexual assault as 10 years and the maximum can be life imprisonment.
The two incidents are just but the tip of the iceberg of the tribulations women and girls go through while using public transport vehicles. However, women using public service vehicles could now find something to smile about following the launch of a national campaign aimed at ending gender-based violence (GBV) in public transport.
The awareness campaign, running from November 25 to December 10, targets drivers, conductors, touts and boda boda riders. It is enlightening them on what constitutes GBV and what the law says about such offences, as well as prevention and response.
The campaign is a partnership between the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), UNFPA, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (Namata), Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the Boda Boda Association of Kenya.
GBV includes physical violence, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, and other violations that affect the dignity and well-being of especially women and girls. The transport sector has been notorious for these offences.
According to the 2021 Women and Public Transport in Nairobi study, 52 per cent of women reported witnessing sexual harassment while using public transport, with 27.9 per cent personally experiencing such harassment.
Ms Mari Kato, Jica Kenya senior representative, emphasises that harassment, assault, and intimidation should find no place in our transport systems.
“I want each one of us to try to imagine your daughters, sisters, and mothers or loved ones being harassed when commuting. A safe commute is everyone’s right, so let us be the ones to ensure, and sensitise others to the importance of the safety of our daughters, mothers and our loved ones."
The chairperson of NGEC, Dr Joyce Mutinda, calls for greater participation of women in the sector and emphasises the importance of gender-responsive policies and procedures.
She called upon stakeholders to recognise the transformative role that men and boys can play in eliminating GBV and promoting gender equality.
The campaign leverages key public transport organisations, including the Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya and Namata, to enhance the capacity of public transport operators in supporting GBV survivors to access assistance and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable.
Ms Caroline Murgor, the UNFPA GBV/gender adviser, decries the reality that a simple journey has the potential to become a source of fear and vulnerability for many.
“The campaign launched today is a multi-faceted approach that involves collaboration between the government, transportation authorities, law enforcement, and the general public to effectively prevent and respond to violence in the public transport system.”
Paul Kihato, who has been a matatu driver for more than 10 years on the Mount Kenya region routes, says GBV cases are rife in public service vehicles, but drivers are rarely aware at the time they are being perpetrated.
“Sometimes when the conductor harasses a passenger, be it a woman or a man, chances are that I will not get to know. The driver is usually so busy concentrating on the road that such incidents bypass him, but when the condemnation comes, he is also condemned and roped into the issue,” Mr Kihato tells Nation.Africa.
For his part, Joel Mwangi, a conductor of a bus plying Thika Road, admits that women and girls are being harassed in matatus but urges against blanket condemnation of sector operators.
“It is true we have some rogue matatu crew among us, but it is wrong to say or insinuate that all the public service operators are bad and immoral. We have many good people in the sector who value and respect the dignity of women.”
Transformation
Namata Director general Francis Gitau said they are determined to transform the public transport sector to make it a credible service.
“Gender-based violence is a key parameter in the design of the metropolitan area that includes five counties of Nairobi, Murang’a, Machakos, Kajiado and Kiambu with a population of 10.5 million people.”
Boda Boda Association of Kenya chairman Kelvin Mubadi said they are cascading the campaign to the 1.8 million members countrywide. Mr Mubadi said they have put in place internal mechanisms to deal with errant members.
“We have some people engaging in GBV who are not boda boda riders but private motorcycle owners. It is important to rein in such people so that they stop maligning the boda industry,” he said.
A survey released recently by Women's Empowerment Link, an advocacy group, showed most female passengers on public transport in Kenya have been harassed. Some 54 per cent of almost 400 women interviewed said they had experienced GBV while using public transport.
The Women and Public Transport in Nairobi study conducted by the UN Women, Kenyatta University Women's Economic Empowerment and the Stockholm Environment Institute also identified women’s public transport needs and obstacles to using public transport.
The study found that although more than 80 per cent of Nairobi women have witnessed verbal harassment or other forms of emotional abuse, only a paltry seven per cent reported the incidents. Furthermore, little or no action is taken against perpetrators.
Most female commuters singled out verbal, sexual and emotional abuse as some of the rampant GBV forms they face in matatus.
