Over 100 Women Murdered in Four Months as Kenya Grapples with Rising Femicide Cases

During this time frame, Nairobi County had the most SGBV instances, while Samburu and Mandera Counties had the fewest.

Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi has disclosed that between August and November 2024, at least 100 women were killed in Kenya.

Speaking on Thursday, acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi revealed that 7,107 incidents of SGBV have been documented since September 2023, describing the rise in femicide as “deeply worrying.”

“The elephant in the room in the security sector is the worrying trend of emerging cases of femicide, which have brought to the fore the underlying and ongoing violations of the rights of mainly women,” he said.

Mudavadi highlighted that Nairobi County had the most SGBV instances during this time period, while Samburu and Mandera Counties had the fewest incidents.

In response to the rise in femicide cases, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has increased its efforts to combat the epidemic. Mudavadi said that investigations into the majority of the murders are complete, and the cases are now awaiting trial.

Furthermore, the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has established a dedicated Missing Persons Unit inside the DCI Homicide Unit to address femicide and related crimes.

To address the epidemic, President William Ruto has established a Presidential Working Group on Femicide. Mudavadi claimed that the team, which is expected to be officially gazetted soon, will be tasked with presenting practical solutions to combat femicide within 90 days.

The spike in femicide and sexual and gender-based violence cases has disturbed human rights organizations and the public. Activists are urging the government to designate femicide a national tragedy, enhance support services for survivors, and speed up justice for victims.

While meeting with female leaders at the State House, President Ruto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to combating gender-based violence. He announced the provision of Sh100 million for the Safe Home, Safe Space program.

“Matters of psychological support and safe spaces for women and children are a priority in my office. Through the women’s rights advisor, we are launching the Safe Home, Safe Space campaign during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, starting on November 25, 2024,” the President said.

Additionally, he announced the creation of a commission headed by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, whose job it is to develop long-term solutions to end femicide in Kenya.

In order to handle the escalating situation, the government’s actions coincide with calls for fast justice and more robust preventive measures.