Nairobi records drastic rise in sexual violence cases
Members of the public outside Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Nairobi. The county government has been offering SGBV integrated programs within the hospital.
What you need to know:
- Nairobi recorded a staggering 3,716 SGBV cases in only six months, a report has shown.
- his is already 266 more than what was recorded the whole of last year, where 3,450 cases were reported.
Sexual violence cases have continued to rise in Nairobi with the city recording a staggering 3,716 cases in only six months, a report has shown.
The Kenya Health Information System (KHIS), says the cases were reported between January and June this year. This is already 266 more than what was recorded the whole of last year, where 3,450 cases were reported.
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases were on the rise amid the Covid-19 pandemic last year, with most people working from home. The cases surged past the 3,000 mark.
Before the pandemic, SGBV cases were below 3,000 with 2019 recording 2,023 cases, a decrease of 334 cases recorded the previous year.
In 2017, only 2,021 cases were reported although this represented an increase of 24 cases from the 1,997 cases reported in 2016.
“The numbers have been fluctuating over the years but have not crossed 3,000-mark since. However, since the pandemic struck, the numbers have ballooned to more than 3,000,” says the report in part.
Sub-counties in the informal settlements continue to record high numbers with the two Dagoretti sub-counties leading.
They are followed by the five Embakasi sub-counties then Kamukunji, Kasarani, Kibra and Lang’ata in that order.
Last year, the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, said his office had recorded a rise in the number of domestic violence and sexual offence cases since the curfew was announced in March.
Past six months
President Uhuru Kenyatta would in July, order investigations into rising reports of violence against women and girls including rape, child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and domestic violence.
According to the data, June recorded the highest number of sexual violence cases at 856 with the lowest being recorded in January at 480.
In February, 476 cases were reported, March had 748, April 636 and in May 520 cases were recorded.
Among the sub-counties, Roysambu has recorded the highest number of SGBV cases in the past six months at 135.
In June, Nairobi County announced that it would commit at least Sh68 million towards the provision of safe shelters for survivors of SGBV in the city.
The office of Nairobi Woman Representative will contribute Sh50 million under the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) while City Hall will give Sh18 million.
The money will be used to build a shelter house at Mji wa Huruma in Nairobi starting next month. There is currently no single shelter or safe house financed by the government.
Nairobi County Caucus leader and Nairobi County Assembly Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege, said the county government has only been offering integrated programs within hospitals in Nairobi including Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.
This even as Nairobi continues to report increased cases of SGBV across both gender. Mama Lucy Hospital received 179 new cases and 137 survivors in the last three months leading to June, ranking as the number one gender violence recovery centre in the country.
