Baragoi – People with disabilities (PWD) in Baragoi, Samburu North Sub County, have participated in workshops aimed at educating them on reporting procedures against gender-based violence (GBV). The Kenya News Agency reports that these workshops were part of the Kenya Red Cross Society’s (KRCS) prevention and awareness campaigns.
KRCS Samburu branch coordinator Ms. Lydia Maina emphasized the importance of the workshops due to the high incidence of GBV in Samburu North, particularly among PWDs. The goal is to equip them with knowledge about legal reporting mechanisms.
According to Ms. Maina, the KRCS is conducting training that also involves other vulnerable groups and duty bearers in the area. This training aims to enable successful prosecution of GBV cases by educating attendees on legal referral pathways.
This initiative is part of a four-year program in Samburu County funded by MFA-Finland, targeting the reduction of GBV and other harmful practices by 2026. During the workshop, it was revealed that local communities often resolve GBV issues through traditional kangaroo courts rather than legal channels.
Participants, including Florence Nasieku, spoke on the challenges they face in reporting GBV, such as the distance to police stations. Legal experts like Margaret Nawar from the Maralal law courts and High Court Advocate Dominic Mbugua informed participants of legal protections available to them, including the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act and the Penal Code Act.
The workshops also included training on entrepreneurship and business skills. Attendees were encouraged to form groups to access funding from governmental bodies. Participants expressed a positive response to these forums, committing to become anti-GBV ambassadors in their communities.
The KRCS team during this two-day training included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Finland Embassy.