Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Rachael Shebesh has called for the sacking of chiefs who collude with perpetrators of gender based violence (GBV) to deny victims justice.

The CAS said some chiefs negotiated with culprits to settle the cases out of court and asked county commissioners to take action against them, saying cases of rape and defilement were not negotiable.

Speaking after she inspected Kisii County Gender Based Violence Rescue Centre which is funded by the national government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), Shebesh said cases of GBV had increased following the outbreak of Covid-19.

“We cannot be in the forefront fighting rape, defilement and other forms of gender based violence while some administrators are perpetuating them,” Shebesh said.

The CAS, who was accompanied by Governor James Ongwae, County Woman Rep Janet Ong’era, her Vihiga counterpart Beatrice Adagala and NGAAF Chief Executive Titus Lotee, said perpetrators of GBV must be arrested and prosecuted.

She challenged members of the Kisii County Assembly to pass legislation to enable the county government allocate funds to the rescue centre, which, she said will be commissioned in August.

Ongwae decried low rate of convictions for rape and defilement cases in the county.

“We must have a deterrent system for the defilement and rape cases to come to an end. The county is working closely with stakeholders to fight the vice,” Ongwae said. 

Ong’era lauded President Uhuru Kenyatta for taking GBV seriously and directing the construction of rescue centres  across the country to help victims.

“We have to join efforts to end the vices once and for all,” Ong’era said.

Lotee said the government was spending a lot of money funding construction of the centres to support victims of GBV, which, he noted, could be avoided and the money used to build technical training institutions.

He said the prevalence of GBV and female genital mutilation in the county was worrying.

Kisii Central Deputy County Commissioner  Joshua Muthoka urged members of the public to report cases of GBV to the  police and chiefs.