Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP) Advocacy team led a group of paralegals and peer educators to clean Dandora police station with an appeal to the law enforcers to address cases of violence meted on sex workers in the area.
BHESP programme manager Simon Mwangi led the team to clean Dandora Police station compound, administration offices and the police officers staff quarters.
Mwangi hoped that the cleaning exercise will help create a good rapport with the law enforcers consequently creating a good working condition with the advocacy team.
“We are very humbled to have the opportunity to clean the police station and we are planning to conduct a sensitization meeting with the officers especially on key populations programming and human rights,” Mwangi held.
On his part, Dandora Police station OCS Mathew Ndogo thanked BHESP advocacy team for taking the initiative to clean the station explaining that the station has been sidelined by the community.
“The community fear the police due to lack of information. For the past three years, only one organization showed up and plant trees in this compound. Now you are the second group to come here and I really commend you for the job well done,” Ndogo explained.
In reference to violence cases, he noted that cases were not reported hence hindering access to justice.
“I encourage people to report cases and do regular follow-ups to ensure that justice is seen to be served including the use of alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms,” he said.
On her part, BHESP advocacy lead Josephine Mtende promised to come back and sensitize the law enforcers on human rights to ensure female sex workers are not victims of law enforces brutality.
“We will come back and create awareness both to the community and law enforces in this area on the benefits of reporting cases and violence response mechanisms,” she said.
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to interact with the officers during the cleanup exercise. Now am not afraid and in case of anything I will walk in here confidently and report any rights violations,” Ann*, a peer educator said.
