Mwiti Gitonga Mberia2024-12-132024-12-132024-09http://172.16.31.117:4000/handle/123456789/741Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continues to be a pervasive global issue with far-reaching consequences for victims. Effective law enforcement response to GBV is essential in ensuring justice, providing support to survivors, and deterring future violence. This study delves into the factors that influence police officers' handling of GBV cases in Dagoretti North Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. Police officers in this region are tasked with a multifaceted role in addressing GBV, including prevention strategies, case documentation, evidence collection, investigation, arrest of perpetrators, victim and witness protection, referral to support services, and collaboration with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to ensure successful prosecution. However, the effectiveness of these efforts can be significantly impacted by various factors. This research, grounded in institutional and contingency theories, adopted a positivist research paradigm and a descriptive research design. Data was collected from a sample of 77 police officers in Dagoretti North Sub-County through stratified random sampling and analyzed using SPSS-26. It was found out that factors such as workload, resource constraints, and inadequate staffing can significantly impact police officers' ability to effectively respond to GBV cases. High caseloads, limited resources, and insufficient personnel can lead to delays in investigations, poor case documentation, and inadequate victim support. Also, a robust legal framework is crucial for effective GBV case management. Clear and comprehensive laws, coupled with efficient judicial processes, are essential for ensuring timely justice and deterring future violence. However, gaps in legislation, weak enforcement mechanisms, and judicial delays can hinder the prosecution of perpetrators and discourage victims from reporting crimes. Adequate training and development programs are essential for equipping police officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle GBV cases sensitively and effectively. Training in areas such as victim-centered interviewing techniques, evidence collection, and legal procedures can enhance the quality of investigations and improve victim support. The findings of the study revealed a strong correlation between these factors and the overall management of GBV cases. Notably, the legal framework emerged as the most significant influence, followed by working conditions. Training and development, while important, had a relatively lesser impact. Therefore, to improve the management of GBV cases, it is essential to strengthen the legal framework, improve working conditions, and invest in comprehensive training and development programs can enhance the capacity of police officers to effectively respond to GBV and provide justice to survivors.enThesis