A new report highlights the severe lack of justice and reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Kenya, despite decades of atrocities.
The report, produced by the Global Survivors Fund (GSF), paints a bleak picture. There is no official register of CRSV survivors in Kenya, and the government estimates the number treated at around 900 – a figure the report calls “just the tip of the iceberg.”
In reality, the report estimates hundreds of thousands of survivors from the colonial era, over 100,000 between 1963-2006, over 10,000 during the 2007-2008 post-election violence, and under 10,000 in 2017. The Western region alone saw an estimated 3,000 women and 1,000-1,500 men subjected to CRSV.
Yet, the Kenyan government has failed to establish an administrative reparations program, despite drafting relevant regulations years ago. The few survivors who have sought justice through the courts have faced endless delays, with one landmark case taking over seven years.
As a result, the report states that not a single survivor has received any formal reparation. Survivors express “despair and frustration” after over 16 years of “promises, neglect, obstruction, and denial” from the state.
The impact on survivors, their families and communities has been devastating. Many survivors face ongoing mental health issues, medical conditions, and social stigma. Children born of rape also suffer trauma and exclusion.
The report calls for urgent action, noting the Kenyan government’s obligations under international law to provide reparations. It urges the establishment of an official survivors’ register, a comprehensive reparations program, and measures to combat the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators.
“Survivors demand reparation related to our very existence, our survival and that of our children,” the report quotes one survivor as saying. “Survivors believe reparation is their right.”