Local news - 17.6.11 - By Mary Tioko - All our children lack consent to sexual offenses, says the Lodwar Senior Resident Magistrate.

The Senior Resident Magistrate Lodwar Mr. Thomas Nzyoki has stressed that all our children lack consent to sexual offenses. Mr. Nzyoki said this today when addressing the members of the Court Users Committee in a meeting held at St. Teresa's pastoral Center. The senior Residents Magistrates who is also the chairman of the committee was very clear on the various problems affecting the courts and the relationship between the courts and the people. He once again reminded those defiling children to be aware that the law will not relent on reprimanding them. In the meeting the filling of P3 forms came up as one of the areas that needed investigations since most of these forms lack truth. There is also the issue of biasness in the investigations which gives out wrong information on the cases. The sexual offenses become a very touchy issue in the meeting which prompted the magistrate to explain in length all the dos and don't s in such cases and reminded members that children lack consent in the sexual offenses and thus need protection. The meeting that was organized by the Catholic Justice and peace Commission brought together 30 participants from various Government and Non- governmental organization to address the problems affecting the courts in Turkana County. The report from the technical committee on the on going renovations of court cells was read by the chairperson who is also Deputy Commanding Police Officer Mr. John Onditi. He gave the report of all the pledges and the contributions of the individual organizations. Mr. Onditi reported that the Women and children cells are now complete and ready for use and took the opportunity to thank all those who contributed towards the project and called upon those who pledged to contribute in kind for the project to honor their pledges. The Turkana Child protection Network chairperson Mrs. Phoebe Kaaman also mentioned to the committee the plans to set up a rescue Center in the County and urged all to come up and support the project which is in its grassroots level. Mr. Nzyoki urged the public to have confidence in the various government institutions serving them in the county so as to build trust in it.