NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 12 – A total of 10,894 people have been convicted of sexual offences in Kenya, with defilement ranking as the most common offence, followed by rape, according to Judiciary data.
The figures from the automated register of convicted sexual offenders were presented by Judiciary Registrar Winfirda Mokaya during the FIDA Kenya Annual Conference.
The register lists defilement, rape, attempted defilement, incest and sexual assault among the leading sexual offences resulting in convictions.
The data also highlights significant differences across counties. Nairobi accounts for 17 per cent of the recorded cases, followed by Kilifi at 14 per cent, Murang’a at 13 per cent and Uasin Gishu at 10 per cent.
Kitui, Trans Nzoia, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kiambu and Makueni each account for eight per cent.
However, the Judiciary said officials received different findings during a recent engagement in Western Kenya, where they were informed that Vihiga was recording the highest number of sexual and gender-based violence cases.
The Judiciary said the growing database will help identify areas requiring urgent intervention and guide decisions on the deployment of resources to tackle sexual and gender-based violence.
Officials cautioned that prosecutions alone cannot resolve the problem, describing gender-based violence as a wider societal challenge that requires interventions beyond the courtroom.
The Judiciary is seeking partnerships with county governments, civil society organisations and other institutions to strengthen prevention and support services.
Among the proposed interventions are rescue centres for victims and greater use of Court Users Committees to promote public awareness, advocacy and community sensitisation.
The Judiciary has also adopted a system-wide approach to gender justice after drawing lessons from the Shanzu pilot gender justice court.
Rather than establishing dedicated gender justice courts in every part of the country, the Judiciary opted to incorporate gender justice measures into existing courts.
Officials said creating separate courts nationwide would require additional infrastructure, judicial officers, staff, registries and budgets.
The approach resulted in the 2024 Practice Directions for the Management of Gender Justice Cases, which introduced a trauma-informed and victim-centred framework for handling sexual and gender-based violence cases.
The framework is designed to facilitate faster resolution of cases while ensuring victims receive appropriate consideration and support throughout the justice process.
Mokaya said gender-based violence extends beyond physical and sexual abuse to include psychological, economic and social harm.
She said addressing such violence therefore requires more than legislation and court decisions, adding that justice should be accessible, timely and responsive to victims.
The Judiciary is also calling for reforms to the Sexual Offences Act to address emerging forms of abuse, particularly technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
The proposed changes are intended to ensure the law keeps pace with evolving methods used to perpetrate sexual and gender-based violence.
The Judiciary has also raised concerns over the vulnerability of women in public life during election periods, saying campaigns and political competition can expose them to additional forms of abuse.
It said the proposed legal reforms would be important ahead of the next General Election as Kenya strengthens its response to sexual and gender-based violence.
