Most cases of gender-based violence (GBV) reported to the Nairobi Gender Violence Recovery Centre between April 2009 and March 2010 occurred in the capital's city centre, according to the centre's annual report, which also recorded an increase in gang rapes.
"A disturbing trend of GBV in the reported year is the continued number of gang rapes where the number of perpetrators per act increased from 2-11 to 2-20," Teresa Omondi, the centre's executive director said.
The centre, at the Nairobi Women's Hospital, registered 2,487 GBV survivors between April 2009 and March 2010, 52 percent (1,285) of whom were women, 45 percent (1,125) children and 3 percent men (77).
Besides the streets and the city centre, recreational places - such as Uhuru Park and the Arboretum (both in Nairobi) - were the locations of many of the incidents, followed by residential estates, forests, institutional compounds, bus stops and other secluded places.
According to the centre, neighbours topped the list of perpetrators named by survivors. Husbands and friends came second and third. Others included boyfriends, fathers, other relatives (uncles, aunts and cousins), house helps, teachers and classmates.
