This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
Busia County has been grappling with a surge in defilement cases, leaving victims with deep emotional scars and physical injuries.
One of the victims, Nabwire, a 12-year-old girl, was defiled by her father after returning from school. She was left devastated and contemplated suicide due to the trauma she experienced.
"I was a Class Four pupil when it happened. My father grabbed me, removed my panties and defiled me. He threatened to kill me if I told my mother or anyone else," Nabwire recounted.
Another victim, Alima, was defiled by her father, who later escaped into Uganda after being released by police. Alima's baby was stolen from her, and she has never known who stole it or where it was taken.
"I was sneaked out of the home and taken to Nairobi, where I lived with a relative until I gave birth," Alima narrated.
According to Mary Makokha, in charge of Rural Education and Economic Programme, at least 13,638 cases of defilement have been reported to her office so far. "No day ends without a case being reported here. Communities here appear to have normalised defilement, incest and gender-based violence," Makokha said.
Perpetrators of defilement and incest often go scot-free, with some even bragging about their freedom in the village. "We have cases that have been dragging in court for over seven years. Files going missing is rampant. Perpetrators are let off the hook at the expense of the victims," Makokha added.
