Turkana County Commissioner Julius Kavita has directed national government administration officers to deal firmly with people found guilty of defilement.

Addressing the press after he hosted National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) team led by Chairperson and policy lead Rehema Jaldesa, Mr. Kavita said it was the responsibility of the whole community to protect children against abuse.

He also tasked Chiefs to ensure that young girls are not sent to graze livestock at the expense of their education.

“A prominent 71-year-old man from Kakuma is in prison for defiling a 14-year-old girl,” mentioned Kavita, adding that such people must be dealt with ruthlessly.

At the same time, the County Commissioner warned locals against opting for alternative justice system when dealing with gender-based violence issues.

Meanwhile, Turkana County has been endorsed for the National Usawa Awards for promoting inclusion of women in powerful dockets and marginalized communities in budgeting.

(NGEC) Chairperson announced the endorsement during a courtesy call on Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus at the County Headquarters in Lodwar.

Jaldesa said Turkana qualified for consideration under the Usawa category for two reasons: the appointment of women to non-traditional and powerful dockets including Finance, and the inclusion of marginalized communities in the county budget through affirmative action.

“We must celebrate even the small wins for gender inclusion. The staffing report indicates that the balance is nearly 50-50. A deeper audit shows that women have been given powerful positions including Finance,” she said.

The Commission is in Turkana for a five-day visit to assess compliance with inclusivity requirements for gender, youth and special interest groups, and to open a new regional station for the North Rift that will offer free legal aid and support a GBV-free county.

DG Erus welcomed the recognition, saying it will complement efforts to strengthen social protection programs and promote inclusion of all segments of the community.

He said the county is deliberately mainstreaming inclusion in all its programs in recognition of the long years of marginalization communities have suffered in the region. The county, he added, adheres to merit and believes in the competence and capacity of women.

The Deputy Governor noted that the staff gender balance currently stands at 56 percent male against 44 percent female, nearing the constitutional two-thirds gender rule.

Discussions also touched on the presence of a special interest group known as _Ilimanyang_ and a request by the County for support from the Commission to identify and document more such marginalized groups for inclusion in programming.

Other issues discussed included technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the high cost of legal aid for GBV survivors, weak legal and legislative frameworks, public sensitization on inclusion and areas for future collaboration.

Jaldesa was accompanied by Commissioner Thomas Koyier, EBS, Vice Chairperson, Commissioner Caroline Lentupuru and Commission Secretary/CEO Dr. Purity Ngina.

Present were Deputy County Secretary Joseph Nyang’a, CECMs Roseline Aite (Finance and Economic Planning), Dr. Leah Audan Lokaala (Education, Sports and Social Protection), James Wangiros (Trade, Tourism, Gender and Youth Affairs), Chief Officers Paul Lodunga (Education), Evans Lomodei (Gender and Youth Affairs), Ekal Lokuruka, Director in the Office of the County Attorney, and Phoebe Kamaan, Advisor in the Office of the Governor.

by Peter Gitonga