Medics raise alarm over 400 rape cases reported monthly
By Winstone.Chiseremi, December 11, 2023
The number of cases relating to rape and defilement reported at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret has alarmed medical experts.
Hospital chief executive Wilson Aruasa has revealed that the facility attends to more than 400 cases monthly.
Aruasa said records show most of the cases are from the North Rift and Western regions.
Chief executive is now calling on stakeholders to take swift action to address the situation.
He attributed the increase in Gender-Based Violence, defilement and rape to poverty and lack of guidance and counselling from parents in the affected regions.
“We are receiving over 400 serious defilement and rape cases at the hospital every month with majority of them being women aged over 75 years and girls as young as two months old,” he said.
Aruasa reiterated that there was urgent need among church leaders, the political class, elders, women and youth to enhance aggressive awareness campaign on gender-based violence in rural areas where the vice is prevalent.
He was speaking at Memorial hospital ground, Eldoret after leading staff and non-members of staff in a 10km procession to mark the end of the 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Annual international GBV campaign that kicked off on November 25 is aimed at addressing the harmful social and cultural norms that promote the vice at individual and community levels.
Social acceptance
Among the victims of defilement and rape is a two-month old baby that was rushed to the hospital for urgent treatment after she was defiled by a family member.
Minor’s mother had left her in her house when the predator took advantage of her absence and defiled her before leaving her for dead.
On her return from her chores, the distraught mother was shocked to find her daughter writhing in pain and she immediately rushed her to the hospital.
According to Dr Irene Simiyu who handled the minor’s case, she succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment for injuries attributed to defilement.
“We sadly lost the girl who had been brought to the hospital for treatment after she was defiled by a relative,” she said.