Promise fulfilled as campaign bears fruits

The ‘Keeping the promise end GBV’ Campaign launched in 2014 has made tremendous progress. A campaign that was borne from the collaborative efforts of the National GBV working group convened by the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC). The campaign has soared to great heights. Having launched in 13 counties namely; Kilifi, Nakuru, Nairobi, Nyeri, Kwale, Bungoma, Baringo, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Kericho, Kisumu and Makueni. We are well within reach to launch the campaign in all the 47 counties by the end of the three year campaign.

The campaign has given the counties a chance to come up with their own county driven solutions to their own unique problems. It has enabled the duty bearers and rights holders to come together and deliberate on the way forward towards prevention and response to GBV in their various Counties.

The first year of the campaign (2015) focused on sensitizing duty bearers towards their role in prevention and response to GBV, referred to on the legend as mild intervention. The second year (2016) focus is on a survivor oriented approach, referred to on the legend as high intervention. While the third year (2017) will be focused on interventions on GBV and elections.

The ‘keeping the promise end GBV’ campaign involves commitment from the highest County duty bearer, H.E. the Governor. They sign pledges to ensure that they will keep the promise to eliminate GBV in their counties. In some of the Counties referred to as low intervention we only obtained this commitment and are yet to conduct the sensitization and accountability forum.

Some of the priority interventions for this year are:

• Advocating for operational GBV centers in all county referral hospitals.
• Dissemination of the PADV Act, Bail and Bonds, Keeping the promise handbook and costing studies.
• Approach Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors to provide pro bono services to survivors of GBV.
• Development of guidelines to establishing shelters in Kenya. The campaign will advocate for establishment of the county government run shelters especially in preparation for 2017 elections.
• Input into the emergency preparedness plan for elections with regard to GBV interventions (as year 3 is on GBV and elections).

Join us as we embark on Counting down the Counties as the sky is the limit!