Bomet: Bomet County Commissioner Dr. Omar Ahmed has expressed concern over a surge in defilement and rape cases, particularly during the ongoing school holiday. Speaking to the media, Dr. Ahmed revealed that at least two cases of defilement have been recorded in different police stations across the county every week, endangering the lives of young women and school-going girls who are at home during the break.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Omar stated, “We have noted, with deep concern, an alarming increase in gender-based violence, defilement, and rape cases targeting young women and school-going girls. This is a deeply unfortunate development.” He emphasized that anyone found guilty of these crimes would face severe legal consequences.
Dr. Omar also addressed the issue of parents seeking informal justice through ‘Kangaroo courts,’ which he noted undermines the official justice process. He warned that both perpetrators and parents involved in such practices would be prosecuted. “It is unfortunate that
chiefs, who should be leading efforts to report such crimes, have instead become mediators in what we call ‘Kipkaa’-informal village courts-where parents strike deals with perpetrators,” Dr. Omar said, adding that arrests would be made for those engaging in these illegal practices.
The Commissioner stressed the importance of promptly reporting such crimes to authorities, noting that proactive reporting is essential in combating gender-based violence and defilement. He highlighted parental negligence as a contributing factor, with young girls being sent to shopping centres at night through tea plantations, making them vulnerable to attacks. “We have observed that many of these cases are a result of parental negligence,” Dr. Omar explained.
Omar’s statement comes at a time when Bomet County’s Department of Health Services, led by County Director Dr. Ronald Kibet, is ramping up efforts to support survivors of violence. Dr. Kibet, along with a team of psychologists, clinicians, and an official from the National
AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), Judy Kawira, recently conducted training for health officers on providing psychosocial support for child survivors of violence.
The training covered various aspects of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, physical violence, emotional abuse, child neglect, child marriage, and harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The team also discussed integrating these support services into routine care to ensure that survivors and their families receive appropriate treatment.
Dr. Kibet stated, “We are committed to expanding access to psychosocial support for children who have suffered violence and to advocating for their humane care. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of these vices in the county and ensure that survivors receive the support they need to heal.” The team outlined guidelines to enhance the integration of psychosocial care into routine services, aiming to better support survivors and prevent further abuse.