County urged to set aside funds to facilitate witnesses of Sexual Gender Based Violence

Busia, Thursday June 8, 2023

KNA by Salome Alwanda

Busia County Government has been urged to put up structures to ensure that sexual gender based violence (SGBV) cases run smoothly.

Speaking during a stakeholder’s forum at a hotel in Busia town on Wednesday, the Director of Rural Education and Empowerment Programme Mary Makokha said that perpetrators normally target victims from poor families.

“This time we have the law in place and we just need that expert witness and the evidence from the survivor,’ she said, adding that there is need to support clinicians so that the process can be sustainable.

Ms Makokha argued that the practice of relying on development partners cannot be sustained because they are limited to some time frame.

“There are certain things that the government has to take care of in order to ensure sustainability,’ she said, noting that partners come and go.

She pointed out that some rogue clinical officers were still charging for p3 forms for victims of SGBV.

The Director further said that the fact that cases are now being reported is a good sign of progress.

“Even the kangaroo courts have reduced,’ she said urging clinicians to be more careful because perpetrators have become clever.

” Right now the person that the perpetrator is seeking to bribe is the clinician,’” she said adding that clinician should observe integrity.

Makokha at the same time said that locals like blaming GBV on poverty arguing that most of the girls believe that if they do not engage in early sex then they will not be sexually active.

“It is very unfortunate that our nine year old girls are not virgins and the perpetrators are 58 year old and above,’ she said alleging that some of the elderly being supported by cash transfer are culprits.

Busia County Executive Committee Member for health Beatrice Nakholi said there was need to establish the root cause of GBV in the County.

Nakholi pointed out that research have been carried out on various medical conditions except the area of SBV.

The forum brought together members of the Gender Technical Working Groups from the seven Sub Counties to give reports on their activities for the past 100 days.

Courtesy ; K. N. A