Tourism
Bomet County Commissioner Dr. Omar Ahmed has expressed concern over a surge in defilement and rape cases, particularly during the ongoing school holiday.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Ahmed revealed that at least two cases of defilement have been recorded in different police stations across the county every week, endangering the lives of young women and school-going girls who are at home during the break.
“We have noted, with deep concern, an alarming increase in gender-based violence, defilement, and rape cases targeting young women and school-going girls. This is a deeply unfortunate development,” Dr. Omar stated. “We want to send a stern warning that anyone found culpable of these crimes will face the full force of the law.”
Dr. Omar also highlighted the troubling issue of parents seeking alternative forms of justice through informal “Kangaroo courts,” a practice that he said is undermining the justice process. He cautioned that both perpetrators and parents who engage in such practices would be arrested and prosecuted.
“It is unfortunate that chiefs, who should be leading efforts to report such crimes, have instead become mediators in what we call ‘Kipkaa’—informal village courts—where parents strike deals with perpetrators,” Dr. Omar said. “We will not hesitate to arrest any chief or parent found involved in this illegal practice.” He added.
The Commissioner emphasized the importance of reporting such crimes immediately to the authorities, noting that proactive reporting is crucial in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and defilement. He also pointed out that parental negligence plays a significant role in some of the cases, with young girls being sent out at night to shopping centers through tea plantations, where they become vulnerable to attack.
“We have observed that many of these cases are a result of parental negligence, with young girls being sent out at night or through tea farms where they are vulnerable to these heinous acts. This form of violence has regrettably become normalized in some of our villages.” Dr. Omar explained.
Omar’s statement comes at a time when Bomet County’s Department of Health Services, led by County Director Dr. Ronald Kibet, is ramping up efforts to support survivors of violence. Dr. Kibet, alongside a team of psychologists, clinicians, and an official from the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), Judy Kawira, recently led a training for health officers on providing psychosocial support for child survivors of violence.
The training focused on several aspects of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, physical violence, emotional abuse, child neglect, child marriage, and harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). The team also discussed how to integrate these support services into routine care and ensure that survivors and their families receive appropriate and humane treatment.
“We are committed to expanding access to psychosocial support for children who have suffered violence and to advocating for their humane care. Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of these vices in the county and ensure that survivors receive the support they need to heal.” said Dr. Kibet.
The team also outlined guidelines to improve the integration of psychosocial care into the routine work of caregivers and service providers, with the aim of better-supporting survivors and preventing further cases of abuse.
