Sports cabinet secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has established a response unit in a bid to curb gender-based violence within the sports sector.
In an update on X on Thursday, September 19, the CS said the unit will be responsible for promoting gender-responsive policies and programmes within the sector.
"As I stated during my vetting, I am fully committed to curbing gender-based violence in sports and ensuring our girls and women have a fair shot at success in their respective disciplines.
"As a starting point, I have established a Gender Response Unit in my office, whose responsibility is to promote gender-responsive policies and programmes within the sports ecosystem," the CS wrote on X.
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Murkomen stated that he is looking forward to working with both government and non-governmental entities to create awareness on gender-based violence in sports.
"We look forward to working with state and non-state actors like Chelimo to create awareness on GBV in sports and offer safe spaces for athletes in and out of competitions," he added.
Kenyan athletics has been facing significant challenges related to gender-based violence and gender inequality.
Recent incidents, including the tragic deaths of elite female athletes such as Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua, have highlighted the vulnerability of women in sports to domestic violence.
Tirop was tragically found dead on October 13, 2021, at her home in Iten, just weeks after she set a world record in the women's 10km race.
An autopsy carried out at the Iten County Referral Hospital revealed that she died from multiple stab wounds, including a fatal injury to her neck, and blunt force trauma to her head.
Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was arrested and charged with her murder, however, he pleaded not guilty and remains out on bail as the case continues in court.
On the other hand, Damaris was found dead on April 19, 2022, in Iten.
Her body was discovered in a decomposed state, lying on a bed with a pillow over her face.
A post-mortem examination conducted at the Iten Referral Hospital confirmed that she died from strangulation, leading to asphyxiation.
Her boyfriend, Eskinder Hailemaryam Folie, is the primary suspect in her murder and reportedly confessed to a friend about the killing before fleeing.
These cases have drawn attention to issues of violence against female athletes.
