Kiambu: Kiambu County has trained sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) stakeholders on how to use the new SGBV-Data Collection and Reporting tool to boost the fight against SGBV in the area. Officially introduced late last year, the tool is designed to support the collection of GBV data by standardising the information gathered across all GBV stakeholders.
According to Kenya News Agency, the tool also helps improve the precision and effectiveness of SGBV data collection, ensuring that cases are thoroughly monitored and documented. The training took place during an SGBV Technical Working Group meeting at the County Commissioner’s boardroom and will soon be implemented across the 15 sub-counties of Kiambu.
Titus Macharia, the Kiambu Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), emphasised that the tool will serve as a vital resource in strengthening the fight against SGBV within the county. Macharia stated, ‘To make a meaningful impact in the fight against SGBV, the tool has been made effective and accurate to effectively collect vital data and highlight system weaknesses that hinder our efforts to eradicate this inhumane scourge from our community.’
The DCC emphasised the vital role of parents as key stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence, noting the upbringing of a child shapes the kind of person they eventually become as members in the society. He stated that instilling strong moral values in children is essential to effectively combat gender-based violence.
On her part, the Director for Gender and Affirmative Action in Kiambu County, Olympia Karimi, noted that the SGBV digital tool will require all heads of department to consistently input gender-based violence data into the system to ensure accurate results and optimal functionality. ‘I therefore urge all stakeholders in this sector to collaborate, as the failure of even one department to input data into the SGBV tool will compromise the effectiveness of the entire system,’ the director stated.
She further stressed that the tool has been distributed to all departmental heads in the county and will be extended to other sectors in the future, following an evaluation of its progress. Senior Principal Chief George Kibugi commended both the county and national governments for their collaboration in addressing the rise of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.