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Rapes surge in chaotic Kenya
22/01/2008 08:33 - (SA)
Nairobi - Cases of sexual assault against women have risen dramatically in Nairobi since the disputed December 27 presidential election broke into violence, says hospital officials.
The officials said a majority of the cases reported over the past three weeks were gang-rape.
"Since the election, we have seen increased numbers of sexual violence," said Rahab Ngugi, patient services manager at the private Nairobi Women's Hospital. "And we are finding that the numbers are going up."
Ngugi said the hospital had received an average of 10 to 12 sexual violence victims a day since December 30, when clashes erupted across the country after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of a race opposition leader Raila Odinga alleged was rigged.
Physical violence
Hospital doctors said the pre-election number of rape and sexual assault victims was around three per day.
As of Saturday night, 152 cases of physical violence had been reported at Nairobi Women's Hospital. Of those, 135 were sexual incidents.
Mass riots and looting in Nairobi's sprawling shantytowns have opened the door for rampant sexual violence, Ngugi said.
The hospital said it had received most of its patients from Nairobi's slums, but was now receiving victims from the Rift Valley who reside in refugee camps. Women had reported being gang-raped by former neighbours and friends.
"The majority of the cases have been gang-rape," said Jennifer Miquel, regional emergency co-ordinator with the United Nations Population Fund.
She added there had been "gross underreporting" of sexual violence cases and still no official UN tally.
Of the total sexual violence cases at Nairobi Women's Hospital total sexual violence cases, a small fraction - fewer than ten - had been male.
Ngugi said: "The trend is most men don't report sexual violence. But more will probably come in later." Incidents of men being forcefully circumcised have been reported.
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