In summary
- Mukuru slams reports high number of sexual harassment.
- Most of the reported cases involved women as survivor.
At least one case of Sexual Gender Based Violence is reported at Mukuru Health Center Nairobi.
Most of the reported cases involved women as survivors with health experts now raising an alarm over the increased number of SGBV cases in Nairobi County slums.
According to Hellen Bhoke from Nairobi County health department most of the cases are as result of chauvinism, poverty in slums, lack of awareness among other factors.
“I could give statistics for the same especially in Mukuru kwa Njenga where a day can not pass without a case of sexual harassment report. You find under age girl can be defiled because she need money to take care of herself and because of poverty she can not afford whatever she wants. So poverty is a major contributing factor.So creation of public awareness is a major activity that is needed so that we can curb these cases.” He told Ghetto Radio News in an interview.
“It is true the cases are rampant and something need to be done many in our society still do not know different manifest of sexual harassment and this must be addressed urgently through sensitization.’’Bhoke added.
Judicial Concern
Lack of consent by the alleged victim is critical in proof of sexual harassment.
Under Kenya’s Sexual Offences Act, a convicted person could be jailed for at least three years, or fined Sh100,000, or both for engaging in sexual harassment.
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According to the Judiciary, 4.8 per cent of criminal cases filed in Kisumu courts are SGBV while Siaya has been classified as a red district because of its high number of cases.
While speaking in Kisumu during the launch of SGBV court in Kisumu, Chief Justice Martha Koome said there is a need for urgent intervention.
Koome said it was time communities embraced the value of respecting one another to nip the vice of SGBV to avoid seeing young girls as sex objects.
“I embrace the concept of campaign against SGBV through media, public barazas, religious forums among others to tell our people to respect each other,” she said.
