Makuenty county gets first gender violence recovery facility

The Makueni County Referral Hospital has established a gender violence recovery centre in partnership with Nairobi Women’s Hospital.

Speaking during an event to commission the centre, Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau (pictured) said the county had witnessed an increase in gender violence mostly meted out on women, including battering, rape and defilement.

Mwau said the centre would offer relief to victims, adding that the county government through the Department of Health Services seeks to tackle gender violence through programmes aimed at protecting, empowering and training victims.

The event also saw the county administration and the Nairobi Women Hospital sign a memorandum of understanding geared towards provision of comprehensive free medical treatment and psychosocial support to survivors.

“We will engage stakeholders in the prevention and response to gender violence.We will bring together police, legal partners, educational institutions and other actors to enhance communication and support for enforcement,” Mwau said.

Dr Sam Thenya, the CEO of Nairobi Women Hospital said the mother facility will offer technical support and guidance on the management of the centre. “This is the first recovery centre at county level. We will collaborate with other partners to promote joint actions towards prevention and response to gender-based violence,” he said.