The County Government of Meru has yet again achieved one of the many firsts by becoming the first County in the republic to launch a County Sexual and Gender Based Violence(SGBV) Policy. The Policy will be spearheaded by a multi-sectoral technical team comprising various actors drawn from the County Government and the National Government such as the Judiciary, various organs of the law enforcement, representatives of institutions of higher education and members of the civil society. The policy was officially launched by Meru County Governor Kiraitu Murungi, who also inaugurated the technical team.

"The SGBV we have launched today draws authority from the United Nations Social Development Goals(SDG), specifically SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and women empowerment, and also the Article 10 of the Constitution of Kenya which gives strong focus on gender equality, equity, inclusiveness and non-discrimination as part of national values and principles of governance. My government is fully committed to the fight against all forms of sexual and gender based violence and therefore, through the Department of Gender and Social Development, we shall provide supportive network and the necessary financial and human resources needed to aid in the policy implementation, " said the Governor.

Gender and Social Development CEC member Nkirote Kailanya bemoaned high prevalence of sexual and gender based violence in Meru County, saying that Meru has emerged among the top counties in the country in various studies released, with some instances of deaths emanating from the violence. She said that her Department appreciates the launch of the policy as both timely and strategic in order to deal with the problem.

The stakeholders at the event praised the County Government for the step, saying that the effort reflects Governor Kiraitu’s historical record as a crusader for human rights, a champion womanist and a lead fighter against sexual and gender violence.
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