KERICHO, Kenya, November 8 – Hundreds of Kericho residents, including athletes, flooded the streets on Friday morning in an emphatic rallying cry against gender based violence (GBV) in the sport as well as across the society.
Led by Athletics Kenya (AK) president Lt Gen (Rtd) Jack Tuwei, Kericho County women rep. Hon. Beatrice Kemei, National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) CEO Roy Sasaka, the procession marched from the County Assembly through to Shivling Supermarket before concluding at Moi Gardens.
‘Enough is Enough’ was the clarion call from every speaker who described GBV as a monster that is derailing many lives.
“Kericho has given Kenya so many medalists. It is the home of Kenya’s first Olympic medalist called Wilson Kiprugut Chumo. However, today we are here to say enough is enough as far as GBV is concerned,” Lt Gen (Rtd) Tuwei said.
The president further encouraged Kericho residents to join hands and eradicate GBV, in memory of Kiprugut who put the county on the map.
“GBV should come to an end today…it is not about ending it tomorrow or in the future. The best way to honour Kiprugut is to eradicate GBV so that Kericho is not remembered for the bad things, such as this menace,” he said.
Speaking at the same time, Hon. Kemei said it is important for families and relationships to be built on love, justice and mutual respect.
“When we talk about GBV, we are not talking about female victims but also male. We need love to reign in our families and we need to fight GBV in the best way possible. When we look around at what’s happening, we are really pained. Kericho has witnessed increasing cases of GBV against both men and women,” she said.
On his part, Sasaka emphasised on the need for a seismic shift in societal perspectives on GBV.
“We need to reset our mindset and our attitudes to create a safe space for all of us to live in. At the end of this process, our athletes will pass on the baton on Human Rights Day (December 10), including the declarations with regards to ending GBV,” he said.
The message was further amplified at a subsequent engagement forum at the Sunshine Hotel.
Mercy Cherop, a GBV survivor, underlined the need for people to watch out for early indicators of GBV.
“I am a GBV survivor…I lost my right arm and have scars on my head and the rest of my body. I want to urge everyone not to be afraid of speaking out or sharing their challenges with anyone. Do not ignore the early red flags when they appear, like I did, or else you will lose your life,” Cherop said.
Some of the suggestions fronted to overcome GBV include blacklisting of training camps found to be perpetrating the vice; sensitisation of community elders and parents on the vice; use of reformed perpetrators to warn others and collaboration with faith-based leaders.
The forums – now on Day Four – have been organised by AK, Equity Bank, State Department of Gender and State Department of Sports – supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The campaign shifts to Iten on Saturday for more engagements with athletes in the ‘Home of Champions’.
