Gender CS orders 90-day plan to tackle rising SGBV cases in Central Kenya
By Faith Lagat, May 15, 2026Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services, Hannah Cheptumo, has directed the immediate rollout of a 90-day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) to address rising cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), child abduction, and murder in Kenya’s Central Region.
Speaking during a high-level Central Region security and child protection meeting in Nyeri County, Cheptumo announced the intervention as part of efforts to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms.
“I have directed that a 90-day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) be immediately undertaken to intensify interventions against the rising cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the Central Region,” she said.
She added that government agencies will work towards declaring the Central Region SGBV-free within 11 months through coordinated prevention, enforcement, protection, and community response strategies.
The CS noted that ongoing cases involving children were being addressed through coordinated investigations and protection measures.
Multi-agency coordination framework
A multi-agency team has been established at the regional level and will be cascaded to county and sub-county structures. The team brings together security agencies, Children Services, local administration, and other stakeholders to enhance coordination in handling SGBV and crimes against children.
CS Cheptumo stated that the framework aims to improve response time and strengthen collaboration among agencies handling protection and security matters. The meeting also focused on ongoing interventions and strategies to enhance surveillance and community-based protection systems across the region.
Previous interventions
The directive follows earlier government measures to address gender-based violence across the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, on March 26, 2026, announced the deployment of additional police officers in Taita Taveta County to strengthen the response to GBV cases while opening the Bura Police Station in Mwatate Sub-County.
He said, “We are deploying additional police officers to the area to bolster security and strengthen the fight against Gender-Based Violence, which is prevalent in the county.”
Reports from Amnesty International Kenya have highlighted delays in implementing recommendations from the GBV Taskforce report, while the World Health Organisation estimates that one in three women in Kenya faces the risk of SGBV.
The Judiciary has also established specialised SGBV courts to support trauma-informed handling of cases involving victims of gender-based violence.