The recent raid on Usikimye safe house and arrest of Njoki Migwi brings into sharp focus how little we are really doing to expand sanctuary spaces for gender-based violence survivors. That the action happened two days after annual global campaign Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence began is even more alarming.
On Friday, November 27, 2020, twelve officers travelled 25km from Buru Buru Police Station to raid a safe house dedicated to protecting victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Kiambu. Recently established on the eve of Covid-19, the safe house is run by women-rights’ activist and Usikimye Director Njeri Migwi. Since February, the safe house has served over a hundred battered and abused women and girls largely based on public donations.