Let BBI not pay lip service to issues affecting women or politicise them

In a span of just one week, I have come across two disturbing and heartbreaking cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), complete with incest!

The latest is a hideous case of a man accused by his two underage daughters of subjecting them not just to defilement but also to all manner of abuse, including physical violence.

And as the saviors of the girls— who are barely 14 — were trying to figure out how to rescue them from the violations and indignity, they stumbled upon evidence of more rot. The polygamous man has also been said to be in an incestuous relationship with his young but adult daughter, the result of which is a child.

And, apparently ‘inspired’ by his abusive father, one of the man’s sons joined him in sexually abusing one of the minors that this father from hell had been defiling.

The good news is that the deeply traumatised minors have since been rescued and given shelter at a safe house, where they are receiving counselling and other help, courtesy of some Good Samaritans. 

It is a long and sick story which the local administration, including some security officers, are aware of but chose to be indifferent, just like the community around this broken family somewhere in Tharaka Nithi County.

The other case is equally heart-breaking and revolting. An orphaned woman in her early 20s from Nakuru County collapsed following an epileptic attack while doing some menial work in a farm for pay.

When she came to a few hours later, she had been gang-raped by unknown people. Nobody was willing to take responsibility for what had befallen her.

About a year later, she is not only HIV-positive from the ordeal but also nursing a three-month-old baby. Again, another good Kenyan has ensured that mother and child have a roof under their heads at a shelter for abused girls and young women in Nairobi.

These two cases are just a fraction of tens of violations against women and girls that occur every day in the country, perpetrated by all manner of people, including close family members. Sadly, just like in the community in the above cases, most of the girls and women are left on their own to deal with their trauma.

Violence against women

Helpless and hopeless, these survivors of SGBV just take the desecrations, violations and the abuse as part of life, with no way out.

However, with political will, goodwill and commitment, the country can firmly deal with all violations against women and girls, especially SGBV and physical abuse, by setting up structures to fight the vice as well as proper well-thought out strategies of empowering communities to deal with them. 

As campaigns for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) kick off, it is critical that politicians, in particular, do not play politics with the serious matter that is violence against women and girls. In addition, they must ensure that proposals in the BBI document on the same are implemented to the letter. 

It is worth pointing out that the report has taken note of the fact that “women have not achieved the promises contained in the Constitution of Kenya 2010”.

Besides singling out failure to fully implement the two-thirds gender rule in electoral outcomes or leadership and decision-making, there is the touchy matter of SGBV. It notes: “Women continue to suffer from gender-based violence (GBV)...poor women are vulnerable and suffer rampant physical and sexual violence....”

The implementers of the report must have the moral standing and responsibility to do the right thing. For instance, the monster that is violence against women and girls during elections must be tackled now, given that political campaigns have basically kicked off.

At every election, cases of intimidation, sexual abuse— including physical violence against women candidates during party primaries and election campaigns — occur unabated. 

The perpetrators of violence aim at intimidating women off the political arena. That must stop. That is why the changes to the Elections Offences Act 2016 proposed by the BBI report, to enhance penalties against perpetrators of violence against women during elections, is welcome — but only if it is embraced and implemented.