National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) in Bungoma County have taken a frontline role in the fight against rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV), with chiefs and their assistants set to intensify reporting, prevention and response efforts at the grassroots.
The move follows an urgent strategic meeting convened by Bungoma County Special programmes director Caren Wanyonyi, bringing together National Government Administrative Officers from across the county to assess the situation and develop joint strategies to curb GBV and related social vices.
The meeting brought together assistant chiefs, chiefs, assistant county commissioners (ACCs) and deputy county commissioners (DCCs) with the county government seeking to strengthen collaboration with the National Government Administration structure in addressing cases of rape, defilement, teenage pregnancies, incest and other forms of gender-based violence.
Between 2016 and July 2023, Bungoma recorded 9,089 cases of sexual and gender-based violence involving girls aged 10–17, compared to 18,510 nationally.
The 2022 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) reported that 62 percent of Bungoma women have experienced physical or sexual violence, while the county accounts for 19 percent of all teenage pregnancies in Kenya.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Bungoma County Commissioner Thomas Sankei commended Wanyonyi for initiating the engagement, saying the involvement of NGAOs would help provide a clearer picture of GBV cases reported from the grassroots and strengthen the response mechanisms.
Sankei said the forum was aimed at bringing together key stakeholders to review recent reports from communities and formulate measures to reduce cases of violence against women and children.
“The purpose of this forum was basically to bring together these stakeholders so that we get the recent gender-based violence reports from the grassroots and lay strategies on reducing them,” he said.
The county commissioner noted that Bungoma has for a long time continued to grapple with cases of teenage pregnancies, rape, defilement and other forms of gender-based violence, warning that the situation requires concerted efforts from both government agencies and communities.
He said the county recorded 141 teenage pregnancy cases among students who sat for national examinations in 2025.
Sankei, however, said that the figure only represented learners who were expectant at the time they sat for their examinations, meaning the actual number of teenage pregnancies could be significantly higher when those who had already delivered are taken into account.
“Remember, 141 cases are only those who were expectant at the time the exams were done, but there are those who delivered before that time and they were teens,” he stated.
The commissioner also said the authorities had made progress in pursuing some suspects accused of defiling minors, with some cases having resulted in convictions and lengthy prison sentences, including life imprisonment.
He added that other cases were still pending before various courts, underscoring the need for communities to continue reporting incidents and supporting investigations.
Sankei further raised concern over cases of incest that remain unreported, saying the vice was among the issues discussed during the meeting.
Sankei stated that the failure to report some cases of sexual and gender-based violence continues to make it difficult for authorities to establish the full extent of the problem and provide timely assistance to survivors.
He called for greater community involvement in identifying and reporting cases, particularly those involving children, saying administrators at the grassroots level were strategically positioned to receive information and respond to emerging concerns.
Wanyonyi said the county government was committed to working closely with NGAOs to establish a stronger community-based approach to fighting GBV.
She thanked the administrators for agreeing to partner with her office, saying the collaboration would help strengthen existing structures for preventing and responding to gender-based violence across the county.
“We are going to work with all 228 sub-locations and 118 locations in Bungoma to ensure that the fight against gender-based violence continues,” Wanyonyi said.
She said chiefs and assistant chiefs are key in the initiative because of their close interaction with residents and their understanding of issues affecting communities under their jurisdiction.
Wanyonyi said the administrators would help link communities with relevant government departments and other actors involved in prevention, reporting, investigation and response to GBV cases.
According to the report by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) 2025, 253 sexual gender based violence cases are ongoing before Bungoma court.
The cases are distributed in Bungoma Courts as follows: Bungoma law court (92), Sirisia Law Court (42), Webuye Court (49) and Kimilili Law court (80).
She added that the county government has developed structures that would allow NGAOs and county officials to work together more closely in tackling cases before they escalate.
