WIFE BATTERY IN MACHAKOS COUNTY NOW REACHES ALARMING LEVEL

Women of Machakos county have raised concern over the rising cases of wife battery in the area.
Addressing the press at Shalom Community Hospital in Machakos, some women revealed that there were many cases of wives being beaten by their husbands, something that they said should stop.
One of the victims Dorothy Mutuku is admitted at the hospital after she was reportedly beaten by her husband.
Dorothy says the number of cases of spousal abuse is overwhelming and urgent action is needed to bring back sanity.
“The Bible calls for men to show love to their wives. How will you show love if you are always beating and insulting you wife?” Dorothy asked.
Pastor Daniel Kaveva of Family Chapel Church says wife beating is rampant in Kenya, but only a few cases are reported in the  media or to the authorities.
“I call upon men to show love to their wives and always find better ways of addressing family conflicts whenever they arise instead of fighting,” Kaveva advised.
The International Federation of Women Lawyers said in 1998 and 2001, nearly 100 women were killed in domestic violence.
According to Fida, most victims do not seek redress for fear of stigmatisation.
Machakos county Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Francisca Mutinda said the trend was worrying.
She warned that the organisation will be ‘hawk eyed’ and seek for tough measures against husbands reported with cases of beating their wives.
“We won’t allow this kind of mistreatment of women, we want the women to be given a chance in families to also give their grievances,” said Francisca.
Francisca told women to respect their husbands and be obedient to them regardless of their economic status.
“Am also urging women to respect and obey their husbands regardless of whether they are earning or not because they still remain the heads of the family,” she said.
Francisca called on the police to investigate Dorothy’s case and take the necessary steps and measures against her husband.
The rising cases of single parenthood, where women are taking it upon themselves to raise children by themselves, and the piling divorce cases were testimony to the sad state of affairs.
Although women have suffered, reports indicate that  men were also battered by their wives.