Sexual assault cases on the rise, says police report

Kenya: Defilement remained the most prevalent crime in 2014 even as the overall crimes recorded a decrease of three per cent, the 2014 annual crime report indicates.

Overall, there were 69,736 crimes that were recorded in 2014 as compared to 71,832 that were recorded in 2013.

An increase in cases of criminal damage, offences against morality which include rape, incest, defilement, sodomy, bigamy, abduction and dangerous drugs and economic crimes was recorded.

Acting Inspector General of Police Samuel Arachi (pictured) said rape cases stood at 893 in 2014 as compared to 953 in 2013 and 786 in 2012, while there were 3,685 cases of defilement in 2014 as compared to the 3,286 in 2013 and 3,387 in 2012, which made it the most prevalent crime.

Incest cases shot to 240 cases last year as compared to the 226 recorded in 2013 and 284 in 2012 while sodomy stood at 106 cases last year as compared to the 108 in 2013 and 110 in 2012.

"Overall, there was an increase in cases of offences against morality and some of these incidents can be controlled through education," said Arachi.

According to the report, the most prevalent crime counties were Nairobi at 6,732 incidents, Nakuru at 4,525 cases, Kiambu at 4,449 cases, Mombasa at 2,946 cases and Muranga at 2,501 cases.

The places where the least crimes were recorded were in Isiolo at 219 cases, Mandera at 252 cases, Lamu at 316 cases and Marsabit at 370 cases.

Crime incidents in Nyanza increased by 22 per cent, North Eastern by 18 per cent, Central by nine per cent and Rift Valley by three per cent while decreases were recorded in Eastern at 32 per cent, Nairobi 24 per cent, Western 12 per cent and Coast six per cent.

In 2014, there were 1,793 murder incidents as compared to 1,924 in 2013 and 1,774 in 2012 while manslaughter stood at 47 cases in 2014, 49 in 2013 and 52 in 2012.

Arachi said cases of concealing birth stood at 90 last year, 88 in 2013 and 91 in 2012 while procuring abortion reduced to 38 in 2014 from 43 of 2013 while there were 24 in 2012.

The Government said 40 policemen were killed and 77 others injured in the line of duty last year.

Some 34 were killed in Rift Valley - 19 of them in Kapedo in an ambush by Pokot gunmen.

Nairobi lost seven, Coast three, North Eastern two and Central region one. Some of those injured are still nursing wounds in various hospitals.

Arachi yesterday termed the numbers alarming and urged for respect for the rule of law and the police, adding that there is a shortage of police officers.

The national crime statistics also show that terrorists have killed 312 people and injured 779 since 2012.

The incidents happened in Nairobi, Mombasa, Garissa, Mandera and Wajir between 2012 and 2014 and the targets were security officials, places frequented by tourists, passenger service vehicles, churches, malls and other crowded places. The attacks were blamed on Al-Shabaab.

The report says the majority of the victims in one instance were those of the September 21, 2013 at the Westgate Mall tragedy in Nairobi, which left 70 people dead.

Arachi said 318 suspects had since been arrested and arraigned.