Gender and children’s rights activists have raised concerns over an increasing number of defilement and sodomy cases in Uasin Gishu County.
This is even as the activists say currently; there are at least 50 children – victims of defilement and sodomy – who are receiving help at a temporary safe house in Eldoret.
Grace Kuria, a manager at the Eldoret-based Gender Mobilization and Response Centre (G-MARC) says most of the affected children are of mothers who are working in countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
They leave behind their children under the care of relatives who have now turned into the greatest perpetrators of sexual violence.
Further, Kuria indicated that commercial sex workers also leave their children behind making them vulnerable to sexual abuse.
“We have noted that many children left under the care of relatives by women who have either travelled abroad for greener pastures are the most abused sexually, as well as children whose parents are sex workers and who at times are forced to travel long distances such as Busia and in Uganda,” noted the G-Marc manager.
Cases from MTRH, police
According to Margaret Alegwa, the Director of the response centre, the safe house has a capacity of 22 children. Many of the victims, she notes, are young boys and girls between the ages of 2 to 17 years.
“Most of the cases are referred to us by the directorate of the children’s department, the police and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). We take them through post-trauma counselling, then to the MTRH care section where they are also monitored,” Alegwa.
The Gender Mobilization and Response Center also executes cases at the Eldoret Court on behalf of the Children just to ensure that justice is administered.
“Cases that we receive must be reported and thus we ensure that we take them to court either as witnesses or for the hearing. Currently, we have five active cases in court,” noted the centre’s director.
“As we mark the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), we urge parents to be vigilant and ensure the safety of their children, especially during these long holidays,” she added.
Sexual abuse against children has been a major concern in Kenya. It is estimated that between 67% and 73% of children are abused sexually, either by unknown or known persons.
