Kisii County has been mentioned as a hot bed of Gender Based Violence/Femicide, accounting for 25% of the national figures.
This was said during a public participation event on legal framework governing GBV/Femicide, held at the Agricultural Training College in the outskirts of Kisii town, Kisii County.
Collection of field views was prompted by the formation of a taskforce appointed by the president through a gazette notice number 109 dated 10thJanuary 2025, with terms of reference including to assess the legal framework governing the matter.
Addressing the press during the event on Friday, May 23, a taskforce member James Nombi cited cross cutting triggers of GBV/Femicide in the country, include property issues, economic disparities and power imbalance between men and women among other factors.
Noting the importance of the taskforce, Nombi decried the rising trend of the vice in the region and called upon the participants to give views on how to stamp out the vice.
He noted that a county like Migori had rampant Female Genital Mutilation especially among the Kuria Community, while in Nyamira, FGM was being facilitated by the medics because the law that prohibits FGM does not restrain medics from doing it.
He however elucidated that the clause was declared unconstitutional and the committee will recommend that such provisions be deleted from the law.
He cited other forms of GBV as early marriages which are widespread in Narok County, and emotional abuse which was cross cutting in all counties.
Another taskforce member, Dr. Teckla Tum, identified other concerns including property inheritance, cultural related issues, illegal drugs, disinheritance of widows and mothers with only female children.
Dr. Tum said fish and sand for sex was also found to be common in Homa Bay and Migori counties where due to poverty, women were forced to give sex for them to be allowed to trade in fish and sand commodities.
The main aim of the taskforce is to find out the best ways of addressing GBV/femicide, and make recommendations to the presidency to address the menace.
The team is divided into various groups to reach the 47 counties and has already collected public views in parts of Rift valley and South Nyanza Region including Narok, Bomet, HomaBay and Migori.
