Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she is offering to the Government of Kenya to tackle violence against women and girls perpetrated by police and state security forces.

In 2021-22, the UK has allocated £3.1 million (£9 million over the past 3 years) towards delivering accountable security and justice services to Kenyans and reducing conflict, insecurity and violence against women and girls. UK financial support and political lobbying has helped secure: the launch of Kenya's second National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to strengthen women's agency and participation in the country's peace and security; high-level commitment by the Kenyan police to an integrated Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) policy framework; and the establishment of a Gender Directorate within the National Police Service.

During my visit to Kenya on 17-18 January I met representatives of women's organisations from across the country to hear about their concerns around the upcoming elections. The UK has supported the National Police Service to develop guidelines to support professional and accountable police practice (including in SGBV management) during elections and trained 310 frontline officers on gender and conflict sensitive police response and public order management. We are also providing additional support for women's access to justice.