Nairobi — Gender and Affirmative Action Cabinet Secretary nominee Hanna Cheptumo has proposed relocating gender-based violence (GBV) reporting desks from police stations to hospitals, arguing that victims would feel safer and receive more comprehensive care in medical settings.
Speaking during her vetting before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments, Cheptumo said survivors often face intimidation and discomfort when reporting abuse at police stations, particularly when the officers handling such cases are men.
"A person who has been battered will most likely not report the incident if the officer at the gender desk is a man. I propose that these desks be jointly manned by men and women--but more importantly, transferred to hospitals," she told the committee chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.
Cheptumo emphasized that placing GBV desks within hospitals would allow victims to access medical treatment, report incidents, and receive psychosocial support in one location services she said are crucial in preventing further trauma or even suicide.
"Right now, survivors report, but there's no treatment or counselling. They go back home even more broken. We must provide comprehensive support at the point of reporting," she said.
The nominee also called for amendments to the Evidence Act to specifically address GBV-related cases, noting that the current law does not provide sufficient legal grounding for prosecuting such crimes.
"The Evidence Act focuses on homicide and other broad crimes. Gender-based violence should be clearly and separately addressed in the Act to ensure proper evidence collection and justice," she said.
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Cheptumo, who said she hailed from a community where she says GBV is prevalent, attributed the vice to patriarchal structures that historically denied women property ownership and leadership roles.
She said tackling GBV requires working closely with grassroots leaders.
"We need to engage local leadership elders, religious leaders, baraza chiefs because they are the ones who can influence attitudes. Every Friday or Sunday, there are ready platforms in churches and mosques we can use to sensitize the community," she said.
On early marriages, Cheptumo pointed to patriarchy and poverty as key drivers, especially in communities where girls are married off for bride price.
She emphasized the importance of education as a deterrent, urging that GBV awareness be included in school curricula adding that institutions such as TVETs should ensure young girls are allowed to complete their education, even in cases of early pregnancy.
"Our children need to be taught about what constitutes abuse, how to report it, and how to protect themselves," she said,
The nominee pledged to include men and boys in gender discourse, saying they too must be part of the solution.
"These problems stem from patriarchy. We need to bring men to the table not just as perpetrators, but as allies in change. They should also join table banking groups, take loans, and be taught to work hard from a young age," Cheptumo said.
She was responding to concerns raised by MPs including Millie Odhiambo, who lamented the neglect of the boy child, and Robert Mbui, who questioned the inconsistency in implementing the two-thirds gender rule, even within Cabinet.
