Chief Justice Martha Koome has proposed a bold initiative to combat gender-based violence (GBV) through the creation of one-stop centres that integrate legal, medical, and psychological support for survivors.
Speaking at the inaugural Gender Justice Change Makers Awards Gala on Thursday evening November 29, 2024, Koome highlighted the urgency of a multi-sectoral approach to address Kenya’s pervasive GBV crisis.
The event coincided with the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign to end violence against women and girls. It served as both a celebration of transformative efforts and a rallying call for systemic change.
“While the Judiciary has already made significant strides towards this end, through the roll-out of Gender Justice Courts, we recognize that the fight against SGBV requires a holistic, multi-sectoral approach,” she said.
Koome noted that the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) is already spearheading discussions to expand such practices and ensure holistic support for survivors.
“To this end, the NCAJ is spearheading conversations aimed at extending trauma-informed practices across the entire justice chain,” Koome noted.
The Chief Justice outlined her vision for one-stop centres as integrated hubs providing a range of critical services under one roof.
These centres would include: Gender Justice Courts to ensure timely adjudication of cases, police posts to simplify the reporting process, healthcare clinics for immediate medical attention and trauma care, psychological counselling services to address emotional and mental health needs, safe houses for survivors requiring protection and legal aid offices to guide survivors through the justice system.
“Our vision is to establish one-stop centres that integrate Gender Justice Courts, police posts, healthcare clinics, legal aid offices, safe houses, and psychological counselling services offices,” Koome remarked.
The Chief Justice stated that the planned one-stop centres will offer survivors comprehensive support, addressing their physical, emotional, and legal needs in a single location.
She expressed hope that once operational, these centres will serve as models for addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and demonstrate the justice sector’s commitment to combating gender-based violence effectively.
“It is our hope that these centres once operationalised will become models for responding to SGBV and a testament to the justice sector’s commitment to effectively combating gender-based violence,” she said.
Koome emphasized that addressing GBV requires collaboration across sectors, urging civil society, government agencies, and international partners to support the establishment of one-stop centres.
The world recently marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women as Kenya finds itself in mourning, grappling with a harrowing wave of femicides that have left the nation reeling.
In his State of the Nation address on November 21, 2024, President William Ruto acknowledged that gender-based violence (GBV) had reached crisis levels, demanding urgent national attention.
To address the menace, Ruto tasked Deputy President Kithure Kindiki with formulating radical affirmative actions within six months.
