Cases of Gender-Based Violence in Nairobi increased during the last year’s general election and during the campaign. Although Kenya has attempted to address rising incidents of violence against women by enacting specific laws and policies, huge challenges have limited the success of these laws and policies.

Recent statistics received by the State Department of Gender Affairs are worrying. Speaking in Kiambu County on 25 November, at the national launch of the international campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for public service, youth and gender affairs, Sicily Kariuki, noted that the state of gender-based violence in Kenya is “shocking In Mukuru Kwanjenga here in Nairobi, about 6 women I met went through GBV. Ann on behalf of 4 women narrates how they were harassed and raped by goons from the other opponent party in one house they had gathered waiting for the politician who was coming to meet them, Ann now warns her fellow women from attending such meetings.

I also met a young nursing mother who was rescued by a certain organization in Mukuru Kwanjenga that fights against GBV (SHOFCO) from the hands of her cruel husband who had beaten her for not supporting the party that the father of her 5 months baby was supporting. Silvia is appealing to the government to employ harsh punishment to the perpetrators GBV especially work on GBV cases that took place during the 2022 General election and even during the campaign.

Silvia and other 3 women were pushed from the vehicle during the campaign which left them to nurse injuries up to date yet no one has tried to help them get treated. The numbers GBV cases have increased since the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, which reported that four in every 10 women in the 15–49 age bracket were victims of violence before their

18th birthday. Physical, sexual and emotional violence are the most common forms of violence experienced by women in Kenya, according to the survey. Other forms include economic abuse.

Western Kenya and Nyanza region, as well as the capital, Nairobi, report the highest levels of physical and sexual abuse committed by spouses.

https://www.un.org/africarenewal/news/violence-against-women-spikes-during-heated-electioneering

As I come to the conclusion of this article my take to the government is to set a side more funds that will cater for the GBV victims and survivors as well as enhancing GBV policies in public institutions to stop GBV cases that are still happening even after the just concluded election. Most informal settlements need to be sensitized against GBV and this will be successful if the government will allocate more funds on the same.

This story has been produced by Ajema Hilda broadcasted by Ghetto Fm in partnership with KCOMNET