By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) Kilifi team has reassured justice stakeholders that it will scale up prosecution of all cases related to Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in order to ensure that victims are accorded justice they deserve.
During a meeting of the Court Users Committee (CUC) which focused on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the ODPP team announced that they have implemented policies and mechanisms to ensure the effective and efficient prosecution of SGBV cases.
Ridhwan Abdi, the prosecution Counsel, told Kilifi Senior Principal Magistrate Hon Ivy Wasike who led the meeting at Mnarani Beach Club that the office would complement efforts by other justice actors to mitigate the challenges posed by SGBV in the society.
The purpose of the meeting, which was the inaugural GBV subcommittee meeting, was to educate members on their roles and responsibilities in addressing the underlying factors contributing to cases of gender based violence within Kilifi sub-county.
The primary focus was to provide an overview of the current status of gender-based violence (GBV) in the county, including relevant statistics and factors that contribute to its occurrence.
“Statistics indicate that in Kilifi sub-county, there are 47% cases of child marriages, 13% occurrences of teen pregnancies, 7% cases of rape and defilement, and 38% incidents of intimate partner violence,” stated the OPPP on X.
The members of the Court Users Committee participated in group activities to develop work plans for a public sensitization program aimed at engaging local communities in the campaigns against GBV.
The CUC gathering was hosted by the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) and was attended by both state and non-state entities, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), judiciary representatives, probation and aftercare services, prison authorities, the Kilifi county government, and various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).