GBV Kenya

 Gender-Based Violence has been rising at alarming rates in the country and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation.

The lack of safe houses or shelters where victims of GBV can run to, either to escape abuse or contain following discharge from medical facilities has often seen victims forced to contain in the very same environments with their abusers, consequently exposing them to more harm.

News that the Nairobi County government is making plans to construct safe houses in the country for victims of gender-based violence could not have come at a better time.

The Nairobi County Government is finalizing on plans to for the construction of a safe house for victims of Gender-based Violence (GBV) at Mji wa Huruma in Nairobi starting September.

According to Nairobi County Caucus leader and Nairobi County Assembly Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege, the facility will ready by March next year,” said Ms Chege on Friday.

Presently, the county government has only been offering integrated programs for GBV victims within hospitals in Nairobi like Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.

The office of the Nairobi Woman Representative will contribute Sh50 million under the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) while City Hall will give Sh18 million towards the construction of the at Mji wa Huruma shelter.

In March this year, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director, General Mohamed Badi directed City Hall to convert old, unused government houses into safe houses for victims of Gender-based Violence, as an immediate solution.

NMS together with City Hall has agreed to provide the Makadara and Kayole dispensaries, capable of hosting 170 and 70 people respectively, to act as safe shelters for SGBV survivors.

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NMS Directs Cityhall to Convert Unoccupied Houses to Safe Houses for GBV Victims