Eldoret:Special prisons for the intersex,stakeholders rally for their rights!
-The objective of the Bill is to provide for the recognition, protection and safeguarding of intersex persons-
Eunice Adhiambo ,In-charge Eldoret Women prison/Photo James Gitaka
By Claudia Jepkoech
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR)Wednesday engaged different stakeholders including the National police,Prisons department , Civil Society network in Eldoret over the pending intersex Bill that seeks recognition of the rights of the intersex community in Kenya.
According to a representative from Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Elijah Kandie, the bill will ensure that the rights of intersex people are protected as envisaged under the 2010 Constitution.
“The objective of the Bill is to provide for the recognition, protection and safeguarding of intersex persons, to provide for the equalization of opportunities, affirmative action and non-discrimination of intersex persons.”
People who are intersex have genitals, chromosomes or reproductive organs that don’t fit into a male or female sex binary.
Their genitals might not match their reproductive organs, or they may have traits of both. Being intersex may be evident at birth, childhood or later in adulthood.
“They face challenges such as lack of recognition especially while applying for various government documents such as birth certificates and the National Identity card,” added kandie.
Eunice Adhiambo The officer in charge Eldoret Women prison noted that when intersex persons are brought to prison, they are often sent back to the court to provide non-custodial sentences since they can neither fit in the male of female prisons
“Most of the prisons have no facilities set aside for intersex persons, we are urging the government to build separate rooms , though they might feel discriminated against for being isolated but time is ripe for the country to have this conversation and agree on the best way forward to protect the interests of the intersex community” she opined
Medical specialists have advised parents with intersex children to always present them before a specialist to determine whether they would have corrective surgery or not.
Intersex people are at risk of facing discrimination, infanticide, abandonment, and stigmatization from their families hence the need to create more public awareness.
According to the 2019 census Eldoret had a population of 28 intersex people.
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