National Police Service Sets Up Gender Desks To Combat GBV

The National Police Service (NPS) has taken significant steps in combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by establishing gender desks in several police stations across the country.

This move aims to streamline the reporting and documentation of GBV cases in a manner that is sensitive and supportive to survivors.

In a memorandum on GBV, including femicide, presented to the Chairperson of the Technical Working Group on GBV on April 9, 2025, alarming statistics were revealed. Over the past three years, 1,639 women have been victims of murder, with 526 killed in 2022, 534 in 2023, and 579 in 2024.

“The period between 2022 and 2024 witnessed a disturbing increase in reported cases of femicide and GBV across Kenya,” the memorandum states.

Several high-profile cases have sparked intense media coverage, public outrage, and renewed calls for accountability, particularly from the NPS.

In response, the NPS has now established gender desks in select police stations nationwide.

“NPS has established dedicated gender desks in some police stations across the country to facilitate the reporting and documentation of GBV cases in a survivor-friendly manner.”

Currently, Kenya has 1,253 police stations, with 45 child protection units in the country. However, only seven of these units are fully operational and meet the ideal standards.

As part of ongoing improvements, officers in charge of police stations, as well as those in gender and child protection units, are receiving continuous training on trauma-informed and gender-sensitive approaches to handling GBV survivors effectively and empathetically.

The NPS works closely with other agencies, including the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Department of Children’s Services (DCS), the Ministry of Health (MoH), the State Department for Gender, the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC), NGOs, shelters, and health facilities. This collaborative approach aims to strengthen the multi-agency response to GBV.

However, despite these efforts, many survivors remain reluctant to report violence due to fear of victim-blaming, intimidation from perpetrators, or a lack of trust in the police system.