Minister speaks against violence

KENYA: Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru has described gender violence as an indication of the moral decay in society and challenged the public to aid in its eradication.

Waiguru said yesterday that her ministry condemned in the strongest terms sexual and gender-based violence against any member of the society. She asked the police to ensure the perpetrators of these forms of violence are apprehended,

She was speaking during the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence at the Embakasi District headquarters in Nairobi.“Violence cannot be tolerated, in any form, in any context, in any circumstance either in private or public sphere,” said Waiguru.

She commended the judiciary for introducing tougher penalties against sexual violence perpetrators.

Referring to the case of Liz, a 16 year-old girl who was beaten and gang-raped a month ago on her way home in Busia County, the Cabinet Secretary called for speedy investigation and conviction of perpetrators so that victims can get justice and feel safe. 

She urged the public to make “every day a day against gender violence” and take stringent action against injustices being meted on children, disabled and the elderly, saying they were the most vulnerable.

Special classes

She added that her ministry will work together with police to ensure that every police station has a gender violence desk where incidences can be reported in confidentiality without fear of ridicule or intimidation.

The Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo assured Kenyans that the police were taking gender violence seriously. He said special classes had been introduced in police colleges to equip to educate officers on how to best handle such cases.

He also called upon those championing against gender violence to aid the police in setting up and refurbishing the already existing gender desks.