That Kenya has quite progressive laws on Sexual Offences is without a doubt, however, convictions on rape and defilement remain minimal largely due to low reporting of offences and lack of sufficient evidence due to flaws in the investigation process.

It’s this shortcoming, which has made justice for victims of rape and defilement elusive, that a new campaign dubbed; Mulika Wabakaji seeks to address.

The  Mulika Wabakaji campaign, which is a joint effort of a consortium of 25 civil society organizations, seeks to key among other things;

• Increase conviction rate of perpetrators of rape and defilement
• Increase Accountability
• Shape Public Narrative on Sexual Offences

The need for the campaign was informed by a survey that was conducted among 3,005 people that key among other things highlighted lapses in the process of reporting, investigation and judicial process as areas of concern for victims of sexual offences.

“The fact is that we have a lot of perpetrators that have not been brought to justice,” Njeri Migwi, Executive Director Usikimye said.

The survey incorporated men, survivors, state actors, non-state actors and members of the community.

Withdrawal of Cases

Vera Ambogo, a prosecutor, handling sexual offences cases also cited the habit of withdrawing cases by claimants as a cause of

“The withdrawal by witnesses and interference with rape evidence by family, is the causative factor to no prosecutions of rape perpetrators,” Vera Ambogo, a prosecutor, handling sexual offences cases said.

Witness Protection

Stakeholders also called on law enforcement agencies to accelerate efforts to put in place solid witness protection measures to make it safe for witnesses to testify in court.

Sexual Violence In Kenya During Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated cases of Sexual violence among children in Kenya. According to recent studies, children seem to be facing new risks of sexual violence in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The containment measures adopted by Kenya to contain the spread of COVID-19 such as the lockdowns, curfews, and school closures are reported to have introduced changes in patterns of sexual offences against children.

“In particular, emerging evidence from Kenya suggests that child victims are younger, more likely to be victimized by a neighbor in a private residence, and in the daytime, compared to pre-pandemic,”.

According to a report by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kenya Department of Children’s Services, even though Kenya had high cases of sexual violence against children before the pandemic, COVID-19 escalated the cases.

“Kenya had high rates of victimization pre-COVID-19, with the National Violence Against Children Survey (13) finding that 13.5% of girls and 2.4% of boys experience sexual violence by the age of 17. However, this escalated further with the emergency measures introduced to prevent COVID-19 spread, including a nightly dusk-to-dawn curfew, travel restrictions, and school closures,” 

Sexual offences in Kenya are governed by the Sexual Offences Act 2006 .