Siaya High Court Judge Roseline Aburili has asked political leaders to craft comprehensive strategies to deal with the increasing gender-based violence issues in the region.
Lady Justice Aburili said GBV issues have engulfed Siaya for the past three years hence leading to early pregnancies among girls, family break ups and brutalities.
“The GBV issues are on the increase in Siaya and we look forward to political, religious and opinion leaders at the grassroots to brainstorm over it with a view of seeing to it that it stops,” Aburili stated.
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The sentiments were echoed by Siaya Governor James Orengo who called for a public-private partnership to deal with the matter that is ruining the society.
Orengo at the same time asked the stakeholders dealing with naturing care programs in say to expand their scope of work and incorporate GBV issues arguing that there is no way they can fight for the survival of the infants whose lives get ruined later in life.
“I want to challenge the stakeholders dealing in naturing care program to work on a comprehensive strategy on GBV that is now a disease in Siaya,” Orengo said.
He added that the research done indicates that the GBV is worse in Siaya with South East Alego ward leading with the victims.
Orengo said a high percentage of cases handled by the magistrates and judges are related to GBV and the judges had sought their intervention to reduce or end it completely.
“The judges are looking for solutions from the political leaders. The suspects are said to be putting pressure on the victims whenever they report the cases,” Orengo noted adding that the issue has led to negative impacts among the families and victims as some of them, suffer mental health, and get traumatized.
Orengo said the GBV issue should be a priority of the naturing care stakeholders.
Orengo at the same time said his government is committed to supporting initiatives that will not only retain ECD children in school but also enhance their performances.
The County boss said that he has prioritized resources in the supplementary budget to equip the ECD centres with learning materials and teachers.
“We have some money in the supplementary budget that will facilitate procurement of the ECD learning materials and also have a certain percentage that will help us implement the Teachers' scheme of service and will start with 50 teachers,” Orengo noted.
Governor Orengo who was accompanied by Siaya First Lady Betty Orengo, County Secretary Richard Owade, Chief of Staff Cyrus Oguna and County executives led by Governance CECM Agunda Ochanda said his government is keen on mainstreaming the ECD teachers into the Permanent and pensionable terms.
