REPORT: Mombasa most notorious county for gender violence
A new report singles out Mombasa, Machakos, Samburu, Kisii, Kilifi Busia and Meru counties as the worst hit by cases of gender violence, including rape, battery and beatings.
The victims are mostly women, and in some cases, the brutalities meted on them resulted in deaths in Meru, Nakuru, Nyeri, Machakos, Kiambu, Busia, Samburu and Nairobi counties.
The report, Gender Based Violence in Kenya, was released by the National Crime Research Centre in Nairobi on Friday.
It was launched by Attorney-General Githu Muigai.
“Gender violence is one of the most prevalent human rights violations. Women and girls, and to a lesser degree men and boys, either directly experience or face the impact of some form of the violence. Despite its pervasiveness, it is still the least talked-about violation,” he said.
Hitting, battery and beatings are the most prevalent forms of violence and mostly occur in Mombasa, at 97.8 per cent.
High percentages were also reordered in Machakos (95.2), Samburu (95.2), Kisii (92.9), Meru (88.0), Busia (82.7), Nairobi (75.5), Nyeri (71.4) Kilifi (66.7) and Migori (64.6).
CASES OF RAPE
Regarding rape, Kilifi was at the top, with 97.9 per cent, followed by Kisii (85.7), Machakos (71.4), Mombasa (66.7), Nairobi (64.9) and Nakuru (50.8).
Deaths as a result of gender violence were highest in Machakos at 34.9 per cent followed by Nakuru (15.2), Nyeri (9.5) Machakos (6.0), Busia (3.8), Kiambu (3.1) and Nairobi (1.1).
Victims were also subjected to psychological humiliation, forced marriages, marital rape, forceful initiations and discrimination at work.
They were also deprived of sexual desires, money and land, as well as freedom of movement. Alcohol and drug abuse were listed among the top causes of violence.
Other top causes include stress, poverty, male dominance and cultural rites, having no fear for consequences and peer pressure in that order.
One of the researchers, Mr Stephen Muteti said in cases where the women are violators, it was perhaps in self defence.
“As men use their muscular capacity, the women are using weapons and I think this is so when it comes to self defence,” Muteti said.