Domestic Violence in Nyeri County, Kenya: What and When?

Abstract

Domestic violence is a worldwide problem affecting many households. Nyeri County, one of the 47 counties in Kenya has, according to reports, experienced a steep increase. Nyeri County has experienced tremendous development, and therefore, changes in terms of education, occupation, and economic activities, making it one of the richest counties in Kenya. With these changes in levels of education, strong cultural adjustments, and increased economic endowment, the expectation is that there should be harmony in the homes. Contrary to that, there is a lot of domestic violence as captured by scholars and the media. This study sought to investigate three things namely; when the violence takes place, the types of violence, and why the violence tales place. The study was underpinned by the frustration-aggression theory and the social learning theory, where descriptive and evaluative research designs were used. The following respondents were sampled to participate in the study: 384 household heads, 12 assistant chiefs, 15 police officers, 30 religious leaders, 12 NGOs/CBOs, 3 Sub-county administrators, and 20 village elders. Primary methods of data collection were questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 to give frequency distribution, means and percentages, and findings were presented using tables, graphs, and charts. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic narrations, with findings presented using narrations and descriptions. The study found out that the cases increase when the farmers receive the coffee bonuses, when learners are going back to school and fees is needed, during the festive seasons and traditional festivities, as well as during the drought season. The study concludes that domestic violence is evident throughout the year, but there are times when the cases increase as a result of conflict in the gender roles. In this case, therefore, the study recommends that there should be a social talk on the gender roles in the study area so as to ease the adamant rise and spread of domestic conflicts related to the various sets of culturally defined and allocated sex roles. Further, there is need to empower both men and women in Nyeri county so that no gender feels threatened by the other. This will go a long way in ensuring that there is peace and stability in families and social relationships.