Sixty Five Police Officers Trained on the Link between Sexual & Gender Based Violence, and HIV

KELIN, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),  National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV (NEPHAK) and the Office of the Kenya Police Service, conducted a two days workshop for police officers themed: ‘Contextualizing Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and HIV: Strengthening the responses, understanding the linkages.’

The training, held on 22-23 June 2016 aimed to sensitize the police on the legal and policy frameworks on HIV and SGBV; create a forum on the potential strategic interventions that police can utilize to assist victims of gender based violence; establish a network for reporting cases of violence against persons living with HIV; and enhance professionalism and accountability within the police as regards handling of criminal matters affecting women living with HIV.

Police officers were selected to participate due to their role in investigating and prosecuting incidences of rape, incest, defilement and other sexual and gender based violence within the community. The workshop combined informative lectures with case studies, experience sharing, statistics on sexual violations, practical exercises and group work to enrich the participants’ learning experiences.

As a result of this workshop the following actions will be undertaken:

  1. The Executive Director of the National AIDS Control Council (NACC) will engage the relevant directors in the Kenya Police Service to explore ways of assisting the police officers living with HIV. The Director admitted that little has been done to protect and promote the rights of officers living with HIV;
  2. NEPHAK will design a one-day programme on the basic concepts of HIV for police officers. This was premised on the realization that police officers are unaware of the evolving and scientific progress that has been made in the fight against AIDS;
  3. KELIN, in collaboration with UNDP will develop a one-page poster with information on the HIV and AIDS Equity Tribunal, to be disseminated in all police stations. This is based on the need to create more visibility on the tribunal, especially for those police officers that are not familiar with the institution.

Key documents

  1. Police training programme

The workshop report will be published on the KELIN website in due course.

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For more information contact: 

Tabitha Saoyo,

Programme Manager,

Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, KELIN

4th Floor, Somak Building, Mombasa Road

Tel +254202515790; Cell +254 790 339963;

Email: tsaoyo@kelinkenya.org