Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok has warned girls especially those in higher learning institutions against falling in love with strangers.
Speaking on Monday, January 29, the governor said although he understands that our girls are desperately looking for attention and love across social media platforms, Barchok asked them to be very careful.
He further said that although the economic situation has been difficult, it is better to seek help from people whom they know very well.
“I want to call upon our children. Social media is good but it can also be bad. We must be very careful engaging strangers, people who propose to us that they love us through social media,
“Please let us be very careful. As much as we are desperate, we need support, we need money. Please let us get support from people that we know. Don’t get love through social media especially those that you never know their background and home,” the governor said.
Barchok’s calls come at a time when the cases of femicide have been on an up word trajectory since the year began.
For instance, more than 16 cases of femicide have been reported this month alone, bringing to more than 500 cases of femicide being recorded in Kenya since 2016.
Organizations that document the deaths say the actual number may be higher due to unreported cases or incidents where details are omitted in police or media reports, leaving the deaths miscategorized.
According to data from African Hub, the majority of the cases of femicide were perpetrated by men who knew the women and were in intimate relationships with them. Reports of at least a dozen cases of femicide since the start of the year have prompted public outrage, debate, and demonstrations across the country, including in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
