Laikipia Parents lament increase of child sex abuse, blame police of inaction

Parents from Mutara area in Laikipia West Constituency have expressed fury over numerous reports of defilement in the region, with many saying that the offenders are well-known.

The irate residents lamented that police were not taking action on the sexual offenders despite several cases being reported at Sumbego and Mutara police posts. They went further to claim that those who report such cases are facing harassment.

Speaking during the welcoming ceremony for Mutara Secondary School’s new principal, parents expressed concern over rising cases of girls dropping out of school. Others complained about matatu touts sexually harassing their daughters as the commuted to and from school.

They accused police officers of sleeping on the job; with others alleging that the officers were being compromised by the suspects.

In a heated meeting, the parents further alleged that the officers had dismissed sex abuse cases while accusing the parents of raising ‘immoral daughters’.

One parent narrated how her daughter, who is a Form Three student, had been sexually molested by a matatu driver on her way to school.

“After carrying out my own investigations and establishing the truth of the matter, I reported the incident at the Sumbego Police Station. The officers promised to take action, but nothing was done,” Ndirangu said.

The distraught mother said that she had decide to speak out so that justice could be carried out for her daughter and all other victims who were suffering in silence.

Laikipia County Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organization (MYWO) representative, Irene Wachuka, condemned the sexual abuse and challenged parents to rise to the occasion by reporting such cases to the authorities.

She stressed that by refusing to report sexual abuse because of fear of stigma, parents were inadvertently supporting the vice as offenders were left unpunished.

James Kuria Mwangi, a local leader and chairman of the Salama Ward Bursary Fund, regretted that there were many unreported cases of sexual assault in the region.

He noted that there were numerous cases of young girls being forced to abort children borne out of sexual abuse as parents feared the stigma associated with such incidences.

He added that despite a majority of students benefiting from bursary funds, there is nothing to show for it since many of them have dropped out of school.