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{
    "id": 1501569,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1501569/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 49,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Gilgil, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Martha Wangari",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I laud the President because he pronounced himself clearly during his meeting with women leaders. He even committed resources to fight this menace. It cannot be normal that about 97 women have been killed in the last three months, mostly by intimate partners. That means we have lost 30 women to gender-based violence every month. Even today we have woken up to a woman being raped and stabbed in Murang’a. Yesterday we woke up to another in Nakuru and another in Laikipia. It cannot be normal. The disconnect we have now is that the President pronounces himself but the people supposed to take action are sleeping on the job. Until now we have not heard a statement from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration condemning these incidents. Jasmine Njoki, a girl from Kasambara Village of Mbaruk Ward in my constituency, was raped and brutally killed last year. The 12-year old was raped and killed in broad daylight as she left school on 12th September 2023. The suspects were arrested and DNA samples harvested. It took six months before we heard of that DNA again. Why? The DNA was sent to Kisumu because we do not have any testing centre in Nakuru. We do not have a testing centre in Eldoret. We do not have testing centres in so many counties. The Ministry of Interior and National Administration will boast of spending billions in buying modern fighting equipment. We wait for South Africa to tell us whether someone has committed rape or defilement. Why is it so hard to spare some amount to buy reagents to test DNA? Because it is not very appealing. It does not have much money that people can eat. It does not have the interest of the nation. We have to change this. We have to get to a point where every county can process DNA samples to ensure culprits are behind bars. Such cases pain me. When a culprit gets arrested, the following day they are out on bail of about Ksh200,000, Ksh50,000, or Ksh100,000. They then go back to taunt the victim’s families. They tell them “you can do nothing to me”. I know people have said women should walk away. However, how many are able to do that? Some culprits follow victims even when they try to walk away from relationships. I am saying that as someone who has walked away from a violent relationship. They will follow you. They will tap your phone. They will call your friends and threaten you. You cannot walk away if you do not have financial independence. I say that we are not doing well. We must loop in the Judiciary. The issue of just giving them bail and allowing them to walk free is another problem. If you go to police stations, gender desks are just mere desks. Actually, they may have even moved the desks from police stations. The idea was to give women a safe place to report these issues when they happen. That is not happening. The Judiciary must have a first lane in curbing gender-based violence. That should also apply to boys and men. We should have safe spaces where they can report and talk about gender-based violence. The stigma associated with reporting any abuse meted out to men or boys is quite huge. That stood out for me. Of course, economic growth is the other issue. I hope we can translate these to the pockets of Kenyans so that they feel what the President is talking about, not just percentages. That way, we will feel. We will not need to say it even in newspapers. We will feel and see members of the public doing well and thriving. I thank you for that opportunity."
}