This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
On August 8, 2019, over 10 NGOs in Kisii town came together under the banner 'A Million Voices for Our Girls and Boys' to raise awareness about the alarming rise in rape and defilement cases.
Just a few days later, in Kisumu County, a police officer stationed at Kombewa was accused of defiling and impregnating a 15-year-old girl. The officer allegedly attempted to bribe the family to drop the case.
According to Seme Sub-county police boss Hellen Rotich, investigations into the matter are ongoing, even as the girl's parents consider settling the case out of court.
This incident is not an isolated case. In December 2019, a police officer in Homa Bay County was arrested for defiling a 15-year-old girl over an eight-month period. The officer had started defiling the girl in January, taking advantage of her vulnerability after she sought protection at the police station following a domestic dispute.
Similarly, in March 2020, police in Ugunja Sub-county launched an investigation into the alleged defilement of a 14-year-old girl by a health worker at a private hospital. The girl's father reported that his daughter was admitted to the hospital on February 29 and was allegedly defiled by the health worker the following day.
