By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County, Kenya: Cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV)are increasingly becoming a big concern among lobby groups in Busia County.
The lobby and human rights groups have noted with a lot of concern how Butula Sub- County has reported more than 9 cases of GBV in less than a month where women and young girls were victims.
Hendrica Achieng from Amukura Teso south is a recent example, she was bitten off her nose by her husband deforming her face forever which was caused by family disputes. She says this was not the first time the two had a fight.
“My marriage was full of fights. But I could not walk out of it because of our children; I had to stay hoping that things will change but in vain. The first time he injured my hands, but this one he just bite off my nose as you can see. I had to walk out of the marriage.” She painfully narrates.
“It is unfortunate that the man is still free. He went into hiding after he committed the offense and nobody knows where he is,” she said.
Philister Akinyi another GBV survivor from the sub-county says her ex-husband damaged her spinal cord as well as dislocating her right hip making life unbearable for her to live a normal life.
She later decided to go back to her people, but unfortunately, the sister-in-law had to chase her away and opted to stay in a rented house with the help of well-wishers after the death of his brother who had accommodated her.
Similarly, Immaculate Adhiambo got married at the age of 13 but her marriage was marred with pain and suffering. According to her the husband sliced her face skin and hands some years back, but being that she is from a poor family little she could do to get justice
Butula sub-county deputy county commissioner Pamela Otieno confirmed that women and girls in the county are living in fear due to the increased cases of GBV.
She says that the recent case is where a man believed to be the husband to a 22-year-old Modester Atieno of Sikarira Village in Butula waylaid her on her way from fetching firewood and chopped off her hands, leaving her severely injured.
Atieno revealed that the two had separated for months, but the husband followed her to her home where he attacked her.
“The county has had several cases of GBV especially matted on women and girl child of late we had a case in Butula where a man went to the woman’s home and cut her arms, cut her all over the body because of family problems. The lady is still recuperating at Busia Referral hospital.” She said.
She further reveals that, in the nearby Namusala village in the same sub-county, Janet Awino was assaulted by her husband. According to her the husband went to her home in Elukhari and roughed her up from her parents’ home in what was seen as trying to solve their differences. “The government is very keen and will work hard to stop gender-based violence that is rampant in Butula and by extension in Busia County,” she insisted.
Jacob Chelimo, Butula sub-county police commander noted that as members of the National police service they are working closely with their counterparts in neighboring sub- Counties of Ugenya in Siaya County, Matungu in Kakamega County, Matayos, Nambale, and Samia Sub -Counties in Busia County to help them arrest those who commit crimes against women and girls before running there for refuge.
The officer admitted that some of the GBV survivors in the county have failed to get the justice they deserve because of lack of enough evidence due to shoddy investigations by police officers, adding that the sub-county and a county at large has a new team of investigation team in the office whom he believes they are up to the task to deliver justice to the GBV victims.
In a peaceful demonstration in Butula Sub County, Mary Makokha the director of, Rural Education Enhancement program (REEP) noted that Busia County is slowly becoming hostile to women and girls.
According to her the impunity being witnessed across the board perpetuates such violation, calling upon the law enforcers to make sure that the survivors access justice.
“A woman and the girl child in Busia are under siege and we must break these chains of bondage that have made women vulnerable. We must break the silence, the government should act urgently to make sure that such menace is put to a stop,” she noted.
Jean-Paul Murunga is an advocate with Equality Now, said some of the challenges they face addressing GBV related cases in court is lack of coordination from the stakeholders such as police, community, and other bodies in the community.
He noted that lack of coordination allows the perpetrators to walk free despite having committed a crime.
“In a case where an incident of GBV case has been reported without proper coordination, the police and the judicial system find it hard to deliver justice to the victims. For example, the perpetrator has committed the crime, the community will shield him from not reporting the case to the police because of maybe family members. The police on the other hand will say they are yet to receive the report which makes it difficult to proceed to court in such a case.” He said.
