From left: State Counsels Ms Beatrice Kosgey, Mary Mghanga, and Lydiah Ochako addressing the press after the sesnitisation exercise.
By The Peak
The number of reported cases of defilement and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Meru County is expected to increase after administrative officers and opinion leaders in the region were sensitised on the best ways of handling them.
In the exercise carried out by officers from the Attorney General’s (AG)office yesterday in Meru County, it came out clearly that most of these cases are covered up by family members or communities and others do not succeed in court for lack of witnesses.
While addressing journalists after the excise, Ms Mary Mghanga, a State Counsel from the AG’s office said that the majority of the participants revealed that defilement and GBV cases were on the rise in the County but there were no people who were ready to report them for fear of reprisals from the culprits.
“Some participants also said poverty is a stumbling block in pursuing such matters to the end, especially where the victim is in a position to hire an advocate.”
“We have however sensitised them on the right channels to use to ensure justice for the victims is realised,” said Ms Mghanga.
She said the sensitised leaders are expected to pass the message to other public members so they can know their rights under such matters as enshrined in the constitution.
“The feedback we have received is that the leaders are happy with what they have learned and they are hoping to have more of such forums in the future,” said Ms Mghanga.
She said the main purpose of the exercise was to educate and sensitise the leaders considering that the majority of Kenyans don’t know their rights as citizens.
Ms Lydiah Ochako, a Principal state counsel in the AG’s office under the Department of Advocates Complaints Commission said the exercise in the County was also meant to sensitise the public on the advocate-client relationship and to inform them that there are avenues they can use to report advocates who go against their expectations.
“We also enlightened them on the process of finding a genuine and a fake advocate and guided them on how they can search the status of an advocate through the Law Society website,” said Ms Ochako.
The participants were also sensitised on how a witness can be protected if he thinks his life is in danger by reporting to the witness protection agency.
“We also received comments and questions on GBV and have educated them that such should be reported immediately.
We also told them that the victim and the witness can be protected under the victim and witness protection acts respectively,” said Ms Ochako.
Ms Beatrice Kosgey also a State Counsel and a member of the victim protection board secretariat said children are vulnerable people and therefore they should be protected at all costs, especially in cases of defilement.
“We want the people from Meru to know that children are our future generation and therefore we should protect them by all means.”
“The future of that adult you are protecting after defiling a child is not affected but the child’s. We should therefore report all cases of defilement immediately they take place and be ready to be a witness now that we have known that there are agencies that can protect us,” said Ms Kosgey.
