A Rising Femicide Threat, Kenya’s Call to End Gender Based Violence

Last updated on December 30th, 2024 at 10:52 pm

In just four months, 100 women have been killed, the majority by males they knew including spouses. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi referred to the rising problem as “the elephant in the room” and stated that many cases are still being investigated in court. Mudavadi stated that the police have established a special squad to address femicides or gender based homicides. 

Since September 2023, Kenya has received 7,107 reports of sexual and gender based assault. Human rights organizations are speaking out for justice as Kenya suffers a hidden tragedy. According to a November United Nations report, Africa had the highest incidence of partner-related femicide in 2023.

President William Ruto has encouraged police to investigate these instances claiming that four out of five killed women were victims of intimate partner violence making them insecure in their own homes. “We know that four out of five women killed in Kenya are victims of intimate partner violence. This means our women are being killed in places they should feel safe,” Ruto said.

The most common culprits are husbands, followed by boyfriends. Only 15% of incidents included the woman being killed by a complete stranger. In most cases, women were murdered as a result of a family dispute. A man’s dislike towards a woman might be motivated by a variety of factors including domestic troubles or women’s attempts to end relationships. 

Home, once a safe haven has become an unsafe environment for women. Approximately 80% of murders occur within the boundaries of a home with intimate partners mostly. Nairobi, Kiambu, and Nakuru counties have also seen the largest number of femicide related killings. 

The African data hub indicates substantial patterns in intimate partner and stranger killings. Stabbing and slicing emerge as the most common ways in intimate partner homicides while strangulation is the leading cause of death in stranger killings often following episodes of sexual assault. Hacking, beheading and burning are among the very harsh tactics recorded. Notably, the use of guns is most common when criminals are linked with law enforcement.

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Women aged between 18 to 40 are the largest demographic victims of femicide in Kenya. Now Kenya’s Cabinet established a presidential panel this week to recommend strategies for combating gender based violence.