VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

By: Timothy Makokha.

The traditional wife beating has undergone severe reversal where it is the men on the receiving end. Whoever that came up with the ‘maendeleo ya wanaume’ movement deserve to be preserved in a song. Surprisingly when this movement for men was being launched, some men did not take it positively yet they are the same receiving beatings from their wives.

I have learnt from the school of life that the male ego rules the world. Contrary, women are turning the tables posing a challenge on men.  Although this is not to be interpreted in a manner that suggest women are less important.

 Last week has been the worst with more than two cases of violence against men reported. First, is a case involving Simon Kiguta of Nyeri who was cut allegedly by his wife using a panga on a Friday evening. Another victim of the same was Mr. Francis Muchiri aged 34, who was burnt by his wife with hot water on Saturday night in his home in Ruiru while asleep.

The behavior was witnessed slightly earlier in Sitawa village Bungoma County.  30 years old Nabong’o disappeared from his home early last year because of daily beatings from his wife. His wife used to beat him every day until he could not persevere anymore.

On the other hand, 32 years old chemiati of misanga village was beaten thoroughly by his wife. He ran and locked himself in the bedroom to rescue himself from the charged wife.  The wife put a table close to the wall that separates sitting room and bed room, to climb on and jump into the bedroom to continue with the beating. When chemiati realized that the wife was climbing up to where he was in the bedroom, he screamed at the top of his voice to alert the attention of the neighbors.

Chemiati’s mother was the first person to arrive at the scene. She then pleaded with her daughter-in-law to spare her son. Basawa that were circumcised the same year with chemiati sympathized with him.

Webi is another victim of violence against men. Webi was one of the workers of Webuye pan paper factory who lost jobs after the closure of the company some time back. His children were initially schooling at Mewa academy, a private school within Bungoma County. After losing the job, he decided to transfer his children to a public primary school where he could not pay any fees. When his wife learnt that he had transferred children to a public school, she took a panga and chased Webi up to his mother’s house. She was to cut him if it were not for the intervention of his mother.

According to Chinua Achebe a Nigerian literary artist, something to do with a woman beating a man would not happen during those days when men were men.