Lamu GBV rescue centre remains a pipe dream
Raya Famau, the chairperson of the Lamu Women Alliance. She says gender-based violence cases are on the rise in Lamu but go unreported.
What you need to know:
- The idea to construct a rescue centre for physically and sexually abused women and girls, came up during last year’s International Women’s Day at Mokowe Secondary School grounds.
- It was to be put up in honour of the late Mariam Al Maawy the Public Works Principal Secretary, who died in September 2017.
Lamu sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) survivors’ hope of getting the first ever rescue and recovery centre has faded after a proposed Sh5 million facility stalled.
The idea to construct the Mariam El Maawy Empowerment and Rescue Centre for physically and sexually abused women and girls, came up during last year’s International Women’s Day at Mokowe Secondary School grounds.
It was to be put up in honour of the late Mariam Al Maawy the Public Works Principal Secretary, who died in September 2017, at a South Africa hospital while undergoing treatment. She had sustained injuries in an Al-Shabaab attack at Milihoi area on the Lamu-Mpeketoni road on July 13 that year.
The PS was the only Lamu native to hold such a high position in government.
The plan for the centre included space for hosting abused women, a boarding school for sexually abused girls and an information and communications technology centre.
It was also to have a general section set towards improving education, economic and trade standards in the region.
Foundation stone
Two years down the line, however, the implementation of the project remains a dream with the foundation stone laid by Gender Principal Secretary (PS), Safina Kwekwe being the only visible sign of the facility in Mokowe.
Speaking to nation.africa recently, Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said the centre stalled due to lack of funds.
“There’s no construction work going on. The ground does exist but there’s no money to do the construction. I am aware funds were to be mobilized for the same but up to now, nothing is ongoing,” said Mr Macharia.
The project was spearheaded by Lamu Woman Representative Ruweida Obbo, who has on many occasions complained about rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) amongst women and girls in the county.
Ms Obbo had cited the lack of safe houses in Lamu as a key setback to the fight against the vice.
She told nation.africa that Covid-19 had contributed to the delay of the centre construction..
Counselling services
According to Ms Obbo, the project was to be undertaken by different ministries through the collaboration of principal secretaries and Cabinet secretaries, who had agreed to pool funds towards the project.
“In fact our plan was for the project to be completed before the end of 2020. It’s unfortunate that shortly after laying the foundation stone in March 2020, Covid-19 hit the country,” she said.
The legislator, however, said she sought support from the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) to facilitate the construction.
“In June this year, KPA said it would support with Sh6 million to have the Mokowe Safe Centre constructed. They promised to release the money either this November or early December, for construction to kick off immediately,” said Ms Obbo.
Lamu Women Alliance Organization chairperson Raya Famau, noted that without rescue centres and safe houses, many SGBV victims are not keen on reporting because they have nowhere to go.
“SGBV rescue and recovery centres are critical to the healing of survivors as they can even provide legal and counselling services. In Lamu, most SGBV cases go unreported since women have no place to run to,” said Ms Raya.
