All is not well on gender equality phenomenon in Kisii county owing to its misinterpretation by a section of some local community members basking in the old school of thought.
Establishment of a rescue center for victims of gender based violence can be described as a landmark intervention on an issue that continues to haunt the local community.
The fact that there is a’ safe house’ for those affected with GBV,is indicative of the magnitude of the social vice and the authorities undertaking to confront it albeit late.
Instead of according respect and equal opportunities to the girl-child and women, some men chauvinists have singled them out for defilement, rape and murder.
The defilement and rape rate in Kisii stands at 23% against the national one of 17% while the combined GBV is over 50%.
Recent incidents in the local community will help to explain the gravity of the GBV and how some culprits,families and local administrators connive to cover up the violations.
A childless couple in Kenyenya sub county adopted two nine-year old girls , bought land and resettled.
Some sadists broke into the room the girls were sleeping, at night ,defiled and murdered them in cold blood. To date the suspects were yet to be arrested and held accountable.
In Marani,a father defiled his step daughter aged six years and who was born out of wedlock and ordered his wife to say her daughter had been injured by a sharp object while playing.
It took the keen interest of neighbors to alert medical officers attending to the victim on what transpired leading to the exposure of the sex beast.
The cases do not,however, mean that the prevalence rate is low or that the boy-child and men were spared of the violation.
Right thinking members of the society have reacted by not only condemning the violations,but indicted authorities for dragging their feet in holding those responsible to account.
Janet Onge’ra Kisii county women rep whose National Government Affirmative Action Fund allocation put up the rescue centre denied that the perpetrators had psychological problems.
Administrators were on spot for alleged concealment of the crime through out of court settlement cases which were riddled with graft and circumvented the Sexual Offenses Act among other laws.
According to the national chairman, Abagusii Culture and Development Council Matundura Araka,the child and women violators will be culturally disowned by the community.
This did not absolve administrators and some community members who abetted the vice,he added.
Matundura petitioned the government to provide guidance and direction on how the incidents can be tackled.
Kisii county ‘minister’ in charge of administration and coordination Ednah Kangwana who busted the Marani amorous father vowed to intensify efforts to deter such cases.
But gender activists Ruth Manoti and Eznah Nyaramba condemned interference with justice systems and threats from the culprits to their spouses to cover-up the violations.
They also sent a passionate appeal for protection of the girl-child and women’s dignity.