A report by the National Syndemic Diseases and Control Council (NSDCC) indicates that grandfathers are perpetrators of most gender-based violence and incest against girls.
They are followed by fathers, uncles and relatives in that order with the report showing an increase of the vice in 37 counties, among them Nairobi, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kisii, Nakuru and Kilifii.
“From the police data, majority of the perpetrators are people close to them, grandfathers are leading in cases reported, then fathers, uncles and relatives in that order,” Dr Ruth Laibon, CEO of NDSCC, said..
Each of these counties registered over 1,000 cases of girls taken to health centres for the treatment of SGBV and incest cases. The report termed it as the silent epidemic cutting across all counties.
Further the report shows that children aged between10 to 14 were more likely to face incest.
In addition, it was discovered that the numbers show that the new HIV infections among teenagers aged between 10-19 reduced by 2 percent, from 315,000 to 260,000, between 2021 and 2022.
Counties such as Samburu, Mombasa, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Trans Nzoia and Busia are among those with increased cases of new HIV infection for those aged between 10-19 years.
Teenage pregnancies seem to have registered the most significant reduction, with nearly all counties registering negative growth in this area.
However, Mandera and Uasin Gishu counties showed an increase in the number of girls getting pregnant, while 44 counties showed a decrease of between 0 to 50% last year.
Triple threat of teenage pregnancies, new HIV infections and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is still far from being defeated, putting the country’s youth, and girls particularly, in danger the report indicated.
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