Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director, General Mohamed Badi has directed City Hall to convert old, unused government houses into safe houses for victims of Gender-based Violence.

According to Badi, some of the county-owned houses can easily be renovated and converted into safe shelters.

“How many houses does the county have that are lying idle that require very little money to be transformed into a safe house or isolation shelter? I want to see your budget for repairing those houses so that they can be a safe house for women and girls,” said Mr. Badi.

Badi’s directive follows an outcry by the Nairobi County Women SGBV caucus, led by Nairobi County Assembly Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege over the lack of places of refuge for victims and survivors of SGBV despite Nairobi leading in such cases.

Cases of GBV have been on the rise in the country especially following the COVID-19 containment measures enforced in the country following the outbreak of the pandemic in Kenya.

At least 6,262 SGBV cases have been reported across county government hospitals in the last 11 months alone.