Safe houses abandoned as SGBV victims suffer

When Linet (not her real name) left her parents’ home in Kuria East, Migori County, two years ago while evading female genital mutilation (FGM), she was in dire need of shelter.

Linet’s search for a safe house, however, landed her at the Nguruna Rescue Centre. The compound was deserted and the huge padlock at the gate was a clear indication that it was not operational.

The minor, who was then eight, ended up spending more than two months begging for meals while spending the nights in the cold.

“I was not ready to undergo the cultural exercise. I had seen my peers get married off at a very tender age, but that was never my plan,” says Linet.

Before she left home, her parents had ordered her to undergo FGM or she would be a reject in their home. Keen not to surrender, she ran away just two nights from the December 2019 exercise.

After two months of searching, Linet landed in the safe hands of her rescuers, who took her in, together with three other girls.

Read: GBV shelter providers call for safe houses law

Career dream

The young girl, who is now an active pupil at Wizara Primary School, Kuria West sub-county, says her escape plans were propelled by her biggest fears of failing to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor.

For decades, hundreds of girls who often sneak from home to evade FGM, early marriages, including victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are left wandering homeless with no particular rescue centre.

With the advent of devolution, counties came up with an initiative to construct safe houses to host the increasing victims of SGBV.

The facilities, being funded through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) under the patronage of women representatives, have become a mirage for the victims, who looked forward to using them as temporary shelters and witness protection points.

While a number of the devolved units have yet to complete construction, a handful of those finished, are not equipped. The proposed safe havens are now empty halls that lie idle or oddly rented out, despite growing concerns about SGBV cases.

Migori

The Migori safe space, whose completion was concluded last year, has remained isolated and yet to be equipped on lack of resources and insecurity claims.

The building's seven empty expansive rooms can comfortably accommodate over 200 girls with an internal kitchen, external latrine and washrooms.

When nation.africa visited the safe house on May 18, 2022, the compound was occupied by women waiting to be granted access to hold a meeting.

"The building is located several kilometres away from the police station, prompting fears of attack by FGM perpetrators,” said Mr Peter Oloo, a resident.

“The centre is often hired out for meetings for those willing to have it for a venue at a fee.”

Mr Vincent Mwita, a human rights activist working with Tunaweza Empowerment Centre in Kehancha, said that in December 2021, the organisation, together with the county, rescued over 290 girls from FGM.

Due to lack of spaces, however, they had to move the girls to a private safe house in Kisii that now acts as a witness protection to minors with active court cases against their parents.

According to Mr Mwita, the safe spaces, once equipped, will also be ideal for guidance and counselling of victims before they are reintegrated into their communities.

Homa Bay

Unlike other counties, Homa Bay has a fully equipped 20-bed safe house at Makongeni health centre. However, it has been unoccupied since 2020. It serves the entire county but had to close down temporarily at the onset of Covid-19 because of lack of resources and insecurity.  

The officer in charge, Dr Jacob Otieno, said a few changes must be put in place to ensure the centre resumes operation. “We sat down recently to address the issues of lack of funds and insecurity. We are hoping to reopen for services soon.”

Read: Lack of safe houses a setback to GBV fight

Vihiga

A Sh5.7 million rescue centre in Vihiga County is expected to be ready by August as said by Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala. She revealed that the centre, which is to be equipped, suffered major delays due to land approval process.

“It took us almost four years before we finally settled on the current land. We are now working against deadlines to ensure the building is equipped by August.”

The issue has also been raised by Vihiga-based Principal Magistrate Samson Ongeri, who blamed delayed justice for SGBV victims on lack of safe spaces to protect witnesses from intimidation.

"There is a cry that a rescue centre be set up. Most of the time, defiled children cannot go back home. They need some holding place to enable them to not get intimidated during the court process," said Mr Ongeri.

Kisumu

In Kisumu County, one of the three safe houses, whose construction dragged on for over six years, was completed in 2021. But the five-room hall in Tieng're is still not equipped. The main entrance is always locked and the hope of making it operational has continued to fade away.

A source revealed to nation.africa that just like the safe house in Nguruna, the Kisumu shelter has now been converted to a revenue-generating place.

“The rooms are used to hold campaign meetings by people who pay a certain amount of fee to gain entry,” said a county employee, who sought anonymity.

Kisumu principal gender officer Joel Okumu said that despite pushing the county to finish construction and equip the facility, their efforts have yet to bear fruit.

“We started the discussions to put up the safe spaces in 2014, where we had three buildings commissioned for the services; however, none has been completed to date,” said Mr Okumu.

He said the county now depends on private homes, which have not been reliable given their reliance on donor funds, which are limited.

“Unlike county governments, the private centres often depend on donor funds, which are never reliable and can only host a limited number of victims,” said Mr Okumu, adding that the county has continued to report tens of cases monthly.

Pressure on private shelters

In Kisii County, a 40-bed centre is awaiting commissioning, while Siaya and Nyamira counties have yet to begin construction.

Kenya Female Advisory Organisation (Kefeado) director Easter Oketch, in an interview, said the challenge has left a number of private organisations with the burden of housing victims.

“We always reach out to individual organisations, but they are not in a position to host all the victims. We have been receiving three to four cases daily,” she said.

“Apart from defilement, we have cases of domestic violence adding to the growing conflicts of land succession in the region. All these people are in need of safe spaces, which we are unable to provide.”

As the current women representatives head for the elections August General Election, the fate of the safe houses hangs in balance.

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