Defilement, Sexual Violence Cases in Tharaka-Nithi Remain Underreported: Taskforce on GBV and Femicide Report

The Presidential Technical Working Group on GBV and Femicide has revealed that one of the biggest challenges in Tharaka Nithi County is domestic violence, which remains underreported due to cultural issues that disempower women.

Speaking after a plenary session with members of the public and key stakeholders at Kathwana during a visit to the county on Monday, Vice Chairperson of the Technical Working Group, Dr. Sam Thenya, said that due to the patriarchal nature of the society, people end up settling domestic and sexual violence matters at home. He added that the best way to deal with GBV and femicide cases is through prevention.

"This Presidential Technical Working Group was formulated due to the need to address the rising cases of GBV and femicide in the country. We have collected views, and most importantly, we have heard the suggested recommendations on how the country can address GBV," he said.

Dr. Thenya also highlighted the need for a rescue center to provide shelter and refuge for victims of domestic and sexual violence in the county.

"One of the challenges here is the distance people have to travel to access medical facilities and documentation. During the collection of evidence, they have to send samples to Nairobi for forensic services. This challenge means the link to the criminal justice system and court processes takes too long," he noted.

Presidential Technical Working Group on GBV and Femicide during a visit to Tharaka-Nithi County/ Blaise Gitonga

The Working Group also recommended the inclusion of cohabiting relationships, mostly among university students within the county, to be considered in sensitization efforts against femicide and GBV.

County Commissioner David Gitonga stated that one way to prevent femicide and GBV is to sensitize the public, calling on the media to help highlight such issues in society.

"We must ensure people know the procedures they need to follow when reporting incidents of domestic and sexual violence, as well as ways to prevent them from happening. The media, through whistleblowing and investigative journalism, can help bring hidden cases to light so that we can follow up," he said.

Chief Officer in charge of Children, Gender, and Social Services, Ms. Kelly Karimi Rwigi, noted that there were many cases of child abandonment, where children are left in the care of elderly family members, which results in them growing up with bitterness and resentment.

"We have a huge burden with our children. Most of them are not neglected because they lack parents; rather, there is a lot of abandonment. Some parents have children and leave them in the care of very elderly grandparents," she said.

She urged victims of domestic and sexual violence to ensure they have the right documents when pursuing justice in court.

"The court does not work with emotions and hearsay. Courts will not take up a matter to completion if we do not have the right documentation," she said.