Nominated senator Karen Nyamu has denied claims that she recently faced Gender Based Violence(GBV).
Nyamu was suspected to have been beaten by her partner after her photo with what was believed to be a black eye went viral.
The photo was taken last week on Friday during a scout and guides function in Nyeri. In the photo, Karen Nyamu had donned a cap that covered one of her eyes and her cheek seemed to have been swollen.
In a Facebook live video, Nyamu however said that her haters were making fun of Gender Based Violence by trying to settle scores with her.
“So watu wanamake fun of gender based violence especially watu wale hawanilike, they think that gender-based violence is something you can use to settle scores or something you should wish on your enemies and these are women. We can’t be this ignorant in this day and age. Gender-based violence is a serious issue, it affects 40 percent of women in Kenya just like in Africa it affects more women than men. There are many factors that lead to women getting being victims most of the time and it also the disproportionate economic empowerment between men and women,” the mother of three said.
Nyamu admitted that she has been a victim of GBV in the past. She added that she is a person who can’t keep quiet incase of such an encounter.
“Women tend to be less empowered and it doesn’t exclude even empowered women being victims of gender-based violence. I personally have been a victim in the past and I’m not one to keep quiet about such a thing ama kuficha and if there’s one truthful person after Riggy G in this country it is Karen Nyamu. So hiyo si kitu naeza nyamazia,” the nominated senator said.
She further revealed that she had discussed with Samidoh, since many believe that he is the one who hit her.
“I have raised it with the person who could have been the person who people think has hit me, ameniambia ah we lenga its nonsense you know how we dismiss things every other thing that is said about us. But for me gender-based violence si kitu naeza sweep under the carpet and it just surprises me how if it is true ni ukweli nimegongwa ngumi kama ni kweli nimekuwa na black eye yani hivo ndo imekuwa tuu stori ya gossip. Sijacome hapa kusema ati sijapigwa ngumi juu sijapigwa ngumi and wale walikua jana mugithi muliniona in Naivasha there was no violence it was fun times,” she added.