By Liz Mbula
Plans by City Hall to establish a safe house for Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) victims in Nairobi is a welcome move that was long overdue.
At a time SGBV cases are on the increase not only in the capital city but the whole country, the establishment of the safe house by the county government will offer refuge to the victims, who in most cases find themselves staying or facing their perpetrators.
This is a very traumatising experience for victims.
Lack of a safe house for victims, means they face the danger of repeat violations over and above the trauma they have faced.
This week, Nairobi County government announced plans to put up a safe house at a cost of Sh88 million for survivors of SGBV, a first in the county that records the highest number of such cases.
The latest incident occurred on Monday on Forest Road where a female motorist was sexually assaulted by boda boda riders, sparking local and international outrage.
A Gender Lead at Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), Winnie Syombua has welcomed the county government’s move to establish the safe house, saying it will go a long way in protecting the rights and dignity of victims.
“The Safe houses are a reassurance to survivors that there is a place of refuge where they can find safety and security. It means they don’t have to see their perpetrator on a daily basis and that chances of secondary violations are minimalized,” she said
This assurance, she says, is particularly important in the healing phase of a survivor and for the eventual reintegration of the survivor back to society.
The agreement to put up the safe house was signed by Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF).
The safe house will be put up at Karura Ward in Westlands Constituency at the Mji wa Huruma, which also houses the elderly.
Of the Sh88 million budget, the County and NMS said it has set aside Sh20 million and donated land approximately 4,800 square metres.
The construction of the safe house follows the November 2021 signing into law the Sexual Gender-Based Violence Bill to protect women and girls.
JHR has welcomed the move as a step in the right direction, with Winnie saying “It is an indicator that the government is willing to take deliberate steps in tackling GBV.”
Like Winnie says, the establishment of this safe house will also ensure that survivors are not lost in the service/care chain as all the service providers are present and properly linked for the benefit of survivors
It is good to hear that JHR is willing to coordinate the efforts of the implementation committee to see to it that the law is properly put into use.
The author comments on Gender issues.
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