Poverty, teen marriages fuel GBV cases in Meru

Human Rights Activists demonstrate against GBV and forced disappearances outside Parliament Buildings in Nairobi. August 6, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Stakeholders in Meru have raised the alarm as the county grapples with the effects of early marriages and gender-based violence.

According to the 2024/25 Administration of Justice in Kenya Annual Report by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), Meru recorded 1,727 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in 2025, up from 1,640 in 2024.

The county ranks third nationally in reported SGBV cases, after Nairobi and Kiambu, with officials now calling for concerted efforts between government and the private sector to reverse the trend.

Speaking at the weekend during the launch of a 48-bed safe house established by Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) in conjunction with the county government in Igembe Central, Paul Ndung’u, the Children Services Officer in Meru County, attributed the trend to poverty and child neglect.

“We have cases of child neglect because of poverty, and this is driving young girls into early marriages. Young men involved in the miraa trade can get quick money and use it to influence vulnerable girls. What we often call teenage marriage is actually child marriage,” Ndung’u said.

The facility will provide survivors with temporary shelter as they access counselling, medical care, legal assistance and economic empowerment services. Judy Kawira, Meru County GBV Prevention and Response Coordinator, said the county has been overwhelmed by SGBV cases and has struggled to provide safe accommodation for survivors.

Shofco CEO Kennedy Odede said: “Behind every SGBV case is a human being whose future has been disrupted. FGM, poverty, harmful cultural practices and early marriage create a cycle in which girls lose their choices and become vulnerable to further violence.” 

The new safe house will have a counselling room and a clinical room where survivors can receive first-line support, including interventions to prevent HIV and unplanned pregnancies, as well as assistance with the collection of evidence in sexual offence cases.

“Meru is one of the counties that is overwhelmed by GBV cases, yet we did not have an operational safe house for adults or teenagers. We are very happy that SHOFCO has come up with one in the county and we are ready to operationalise it once it’s complete,” Kawira added.

Sheila Wanjiru, a prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, noted that they have handled 37 sexual offence cases at eru Law Courts alone since the beginning of 2026.

“Culture and poverty continue to affect the way sexual offences are handled. Sometimes families agree to reconcile and the survivor withdraws the case, yet sexual offences are criminal matters that require justice,” Wanjiru said.

She said failure by complainants and witnesses to attend court contributes to delays and case withdrawals.

Some cases are mentioned several times without the parties appearing in court. This contributes to a backlog and may eventually lead to withdrawal. We encourage survivors to approach the ODPP because we are ready to support them through the justice process,” she said.