Gender Based Violence In Kenya
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN KENYA
This piece about gender based violence in Kenya has been on my drafts for quite some time.I hoped some research,discoveries or some sort of cure for this vice would be devised.I hoped to publish it as a complete article narrating to the future generation of the gender based violence that had erupted in our country. Of how we conquered the menace and that no one,boy or girl was to ever worry about becoming a victim of such.In my vision, some sort of vaccination would be administered to any one showing the tiniest symptoms of being a perpetrator of this gruesome and horrifying act.
Gender based violence in Kenya can majorly be classified into 3:
1. Economic violence.
This is when a partner chooses to sabotage the financial wellness of the other. It could be by taking by force one’s salary or even enabling their dismissal from work.
2.Emotional violence.
Toying around with some one’s feelings knowing very well where you have placed them in your life. That they do not matter. You show them mixed feelings but not letting them go.
3.Sexual violence.
Largely contributed by sexual harassment and rape.
4.Physical violence.
This is mostly the epitome of it especially in a case of married couple or partners who have dated for sometime. The offender will take from emotional violence and if they feel like you are used to that kind of pain they pin you down with physical abuse.
In this article we will delve more into the physical gender based violence.
Initially I did a piece about femicide on January of 2024 on my Facebook page which had also been bugging my mind for quite sometime.
The more I got attentive to the gender based violence cases reported everyday by the local dailies, radios and television stations, I realized it’s a misfortune that has befallen all across the gender lines. It has not been selective.To have a clear view of the devastating effects of this vice one has to be objective, refuse to be biased and be open minded. Separating emotions from the ongoing cases would also give clear a view.
Starlet Wahu daughter to a preacher and a sister to a city preacher went through a horrifying encounter before her untimely death early 2024. She was in the hands of one John Matara who stabbed her several times to her death. They had been captured by the CCTV surveillance as they booked an Air B n B facility together in what appeared to be a fun moment. She was most likely not aware of what her mate could do to her.She was going to be part of statistics of the women who went through hell in John’s hands.He was brutal. He was a love con who preyed on women for money. He would squize out money from his victim’s mobile money apps, bank accounts and force them to seek for financial assistance from unsuspecting family and friends. Victims who escaped death from his torture explained in a Machakos Law Court and left many crying wondering how mean a person could ever get.
Rita Waeni a J.K.U.A.T student went out to meet some one she had met and was getting comfortable with.That was the last time she was seen alive.She was stabbed and butchered. Her head was found separate from the other body parts.Another young life cut short.
These two are just an example of the many more young girls who were murdered before they could even celebrate their 30th birthday. Two general assumptions about the victims were made;
1.That these girls were killed while they were in pursuit of their love for money.
2.That they hurriedly went to bed with strangers.
There’s a 16 days campaign against gender based violence in Kenya every year.This year, it began on 25th November. A big number of men has also experienced the wrath of anger in the hands of their women. On 20th same month, the president His excellency William Ruto promised heavily to fight against the vice. He offered 100 M in support of the war against.
As if to discredit his tough talk, many more incidents occurred notably the saga involving Florence Wanjiku Vs Elias Njau which occurred in the midnight hours same day.
Florence had accused Elias of stabbing her 18 times in which she also lost her two fingers. The details of how she lost the two fingers are unclear but certainly there is no marks to show the 18 stabs she had alleged. Days after her discharge from hospital, she has been parading herself on the social media pages dancing. A debate on the genuineness of some of the cases that have seen many men behind bars has elicited. Many have have called her out and noted that if not for the CCTV footage evidence, Elias could be serving a jail term over false accusations.
Bernedict Kiptoo, a third year K.M.T.C student was stabbed by his girlfriend in the chest and bleed profusely. His neighbor a doctor in a private clinic tried administering first aid before rushing him to Kijana Wamalwa hospital where he succumed. He died five days to his graduation.
Also in this same November bitter memories have been rekindled by the hyped graduation of an inmate by the name Ruth Kamande among others. She graduated with a degree in Law from University of London. Ruth was arrested over the murder of one Fareed Mohamed in 2015. She stabbed him over 20 times in what she termed as self defense after a scuffle had ensued between them. Forensic evidence had proved otherwise including an allegation she had made of Farid knowingly infecting her with HIV virus. Justice Jessie Lessit in her ruling termed that ‘her action was calculated to inflict pain and cause death slowly but assuredly.That is clear proof of malice ,of spite, callousness and hatred.She also lacked remorse during the whole trial period’. She was sentenced to murder in 2018 but it was appealed and ruled over to life imprisonment.
As a country we are no longer forging forward towards winning this war. We are becoming biased whenever a gender based violence incident occurs. Ruth Kamande’s looks diverted attention from the main reason she had hit the airwaves. Her beauty became the talk instead of the heinous act she had committed.She was baptized the Beauty Queen Killer with men insinuating that she was too beautiful to remain behind bars while they were thirsting for her. To add merit to her beauty, she was crowned Miss Lang’ata in 2016 and her photos of the event went viral.
In the case of Elias and Florence, both have a case to answer. He appears to have been provoked by the lover’s act of hitting his car. We also do not know what caused Florence to behave in that manner considering she mentioned they had met during the day. Emotional and physical violence was at play in this instance.
Both man and woman must coexist. In order for them to coexist harmoniously, the value for appreciating that life is precious for all must be at the center stage.It is therefore everyone’s obligation to raise humans who fear the Law; both the law of Man and Law of God. The law of man discourages people from taking law into their hands. The Law of God says that ‘Do not kill’.
We shall overcome gender based violence in Kenya if we hold hands and stand against the vice in one voice.
