Edith Fortunate
31 July 2007
Nairobi — Cases of rape have risen by 50 per cent over the last five years, with slums in urban centres registering the highest prevalence.
A new report jointly produced by the Chambers of Justice and Care Kenya, which was released in Nairobi on Monday, shows cases of rape and attempted rape rose from 1,675 in 2000 to 3,509 currently.
Reported cases of assault and battery have also increased from 6,255 to 9,169 in the same period.
Victims of rape have also reported severe physical injury such as excessive bleeding, strangulation and swollen faces, says the report.
The report also reveals that incest contributes to the high rate of rape, while minors aged between one month and eight years are highly targeted.
An increase in the number of cases has been reported even though the Sexual Offences Act has been operational.
Of 717 reported sexual abuse cases, 43.5 per cent were girls aged between one month to four years, while 33.2 per cent were aged between five and eight years.
More than 83 per cent of defilement cases occur at home
Speaking during the opening of a four-day conference on gender-based violence as linked to HIV/Aids in Nairobi, Director of National Commission on Gender and Development, Mr Peterlis Nyatunga, expressed concern and called for concerted efforts to deal with the vice. Said he: "We do not have to wait to know how many more people are being assaulted or raped on a daily basis. We should work with the current figures."
The report also says that although homes are considered to be safe havens, more than 83 per cent of defilement cases take place there.
Of the reported cases of rape, 80 per cent occur in the slums, with a majority occurring in Kibera (38.9 per cent), Mathare (32.2 per cent) and Kawangware (28.9 per cent).
High cases of rape in the slums blamed on crowding
The report attributes the high cases of rape in the slums to crowding, with families sharing tiny single rooms.
Incest is on the rise and sexual violence cuts across all women regardless of their age and social class, the study indicates.
The statistics from the Gender Violence Recovery Centre also indicate that 2,437 survivors treated at the centre during the survey period, 40 per cent were cases of defilement. Proportion of children being treated for sexual violence has also increased from 28 per cent in April 2003 to over 41 per cent currently.
The report further says one in every four married, divorced or separated women experiences emotional violence from the current or recent husband.
It also says that of 750 cases reported from 2005, 35 per cent were linked to domestic violence by intimate partners, which among them included psychological torture.
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