Meru County identified as a hot spot for Gender Based Violence

Meru County has been identified as a hot spot for Gender Based Violence (GBV), with 336 cases among them six femicides having been reported in the past sixteen months.

According to a police report, dated 1st  January 2024 till 15th May 2025, Tigania East leads in the vice with 62 cases,  Imenti south second highest with 59, while Nyaki East sub county registered no incident.

The report that was presented by Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma during a committee on GBV during a public participation exercise.

The report indicated that Mutuati, Igembe South and Imenti South sub counties had two femicide cases each.

The data further indicated that cases reported in Tigania Central were 26, Buuri West 6, Igembe Central 8, Igembe North 10, Imenti North 46, Imenti Central 15, Buuri East 44 and Tigania West 30.

“According to these statistics that mostly targeted women, it means that in the set up on GBV cases we are discussing today, Meru has a great contribution to the numbers countrywide. This means we are leading in the wrong things” said Ouma.

On his side, Michael Kariuki a member of the committee said that throughout the exercise in Meru, retrogressive culture stood out as the key contributing factor in GBV.

He added that the legal framework was also mentioned by many as a contributing factor to the increasing cases.

“Kenya has so many legal and policy frameworks. But the public has identified that despite the many structures, they are not implemented, therefore crippling the GBV cases or delaying them from being settled in the judiciary” said Kariuki.

He also noted, “Poor parenting has also come out as another contributing factor with the youth expressing their concern about the poor parenting. We are much concerned over what has emerged from them. Also drug abuse is a matter of concern”.

During the discussions, Njuri Ncheke council of elders secretary general Josphat Murangiri, on his side observed that the communities should embrace behavioral change support.

“Njuri Ncheke encourages behavioral change in order to ensure there are good morals in the society” said Murangiri.

He also pointed fingers at chief’s, over what he termed as corruption initiated Kangaroo courts.

“Some of the chiefs are perpetrators of the so-called kangaroo courts. Some are looking for money thus not following on cases but advocating for GBV matters to be solved outside the court” he added.

Moses Gitonga, a youth representative said that lack of parental guidance and drug abuse are key players in teenage pregnancy and GBV.

“Don’t blame the youth for the issues being raised. There is lack of good parenting in our villages. That’s why there is moral decay amongst the youth. We have lacked guidance,” he said.