©2013 Apex Journal International

Gender based violence is a profound health problem worldwide. It displays regional, cultural and ethnic differences and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Data from Kenya are however, scarce. This was a retrospective study at the gender recovery centre of the Nairobi Women’s hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. Patient records between January 2005 and June 2010 were examined for age, gender, perpetrator features and nature of violence. The data collected were analysed using a statistical program SPSS version 18 for Windows 7 and presented in pie and bar charts. Ten thousand seven hundred and forty eight (944 males and 9604 females) cases were reviewed. The mean age of the survivors was 19 (range 3-90) years. Male: female ratio was 1:9. In 66 % of the cases, the perpetrator was known to the victim. The types of violence were; sexual (85%), physical (13%) and both physical and sexual (2%). Gender violence in Kenya is predominantly sexual, against females, but with a substantial number of male victims. It occurs mainly in under 30s, and most perpetrators are known. Control measures should be targeted to young individuals of both genders