Rongai, Hurlingham, Adams and Kitengela lead in gender violence cases

Rongai, Hurlingham, Adams and Kitengela are among areas with the highest reported cases of gender-based violence according to the latest statistics from the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC).

The statistics, which cover the period between January and August, shows that a total of 2,519 survivors’ cases of GBV were reported, with women accounting for the highest number.

Rongai had 642 cases, followed by Hurlingham (472), Adams (443), Meru (263), Kitengela (291), Nakuru Hyrax (198), Mombasa (135) and Nakuru County with 79. Of the cases, 90.75 per cent were women.

Defilement is the main nature of violence at 930 cases, followed by physical assault with 702 cases and rape with 538.

Those between the ages of 10 and 19 were the most affected with 965 cases, followed by those between 20-29 years who had 666 cases of violence reported. Those between 30 and 39 years had 375 cases reported while those 10 years and below had 341 cases reported.

The month of May recorded the highest number of cases reported at 385 with July having 350, April registered 344, January and March had 302 and 301, respectively.

GVRC Executive Director Alberta Wambua said that two of the cases reported in August involved female political aspirants from Kisumu.

“The two women were raped while coming back from the campaign trail,” Ms Wambua said, who explained that the figures are not national.

She said there are cases of women who were raped while coming from of political rallies while others in marriage were abused because of associating with a different political party from that of the husband. Ms Wambua added that despite the violence cases being rampant among the political class, the centre does not receive many of such cases.

“The wife of a politician prefers using a family doctor. They also don’t report to the police because even if they do, it will just take one call from the politician to end that story,” she said.