Nakuru to build Sh10m centre for gender violence victims

The Nakuru County government will build a rescue centre for gender violence victims targeting girls and women.

The centre will be based at the Gilgil Sub-County Hospital and will cost Sh10 million to build.

Speaking during the vetting and screening of street families at Menengai Social Hall on Thursday, County Chief Officer for Gender, Culture and social services Tume Abduba said that the centre will be built in two phases.

TWO PHASES

“In the first phase this financial year, the county government has set aside Sh4 million and in the second phase the county will spend Sh6 million,” said Ms Abduba.

She announced that her department has also identified an institution in Njoro Sub-County which will be refurbished and turned into a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts.

“This institution will be rehabilitated in the current financial year and will be up and running in the next couple of months,” she added.

CHILDREN'S SAFETY

At the same time, she urged the owners of children’s homes in the county to ensure the safety of those under their care.

“Let us give these children proper care. It is very heart breaking to rescue the children from the streets only for them to be sodomised or defiled under your care,” she said.

Ms Abduba said that her department will intensify impromptu inspections of the homes to establish how they are taking care of the rescued children.

“We know there are some bad elements masquerading as children rescue centres to solicit for funds from their donors abroad to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor street families,” said Ms Abduba.

MOLESTATION

She said some of the homosexual cases being reported are as a result child molestation.

She said she is concerned by the increasing number of gay people in the county and urged the home owners and caretakers to teach the children under their care good morals.

She said due to efforts by the Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration to give the street families a new lease of life, Nakuru is now becoming a safe haven for other street children from the neighbouring counties.

OUTSIDERS

“I urge all the children’s homes to be on the lookout for outsiders who are invading our streets from Nairobi and Uasin Gishu counties where some of these street children are coming from,” said Ms Abduba.

She commended the children’s homes which have accepted to take the street children after the screening.

County Director of Vocational Training David Mwangi announced that at least 43 street children have agreed to join the vocational training centre in Nakuru town for various courses.