Nellie Chepkemoi: Silent femicide crisis in Kenya – a call to action in protecting girls and women

A shadow looms over our country, homes, communities, public spaces and offices in Kenya today in the name of femicide. The country has been rocked by a disturbing surge in gender-based violence that has created a femicide crisis that undermines the gains for gender equality, social accountability and sustainable development.

Just two days ago, we all shockingly learned of the brutal murders of a mother and her two daughters from Eastleigh, Nairobi. This tragic event and the other nine murders in a week aren’t just isolated incidents but part of a growing epidemic that demands our immediate attention; it highlights the pervasive safety challenges women in Kenya face in their surroundings.

These heinous attacks reveal the grim reality that indeed femicide is not just a silent crisis but a war silently being waged against girls and women hidden behind closed doors, with perpetrators frequently being relatives or people close to the victims.

According to the investigative media house Africa Uncensored, it is estimated that over 500 women were killed in Kenya between 2017 and 2024. Femicide Count, a Kenyan organisation, recorded 152 cases of femicide in 2023 based on media reports.

In the past month, we’ve shockingly had over 30 cases of femicide and sexual assault against young women. Femicide in Kenya has become an issue that needs to be declared a national crisis affecting all of us as Kenyans.

The forced abductions in Eastleigh and the infamous Kware Dam, where female bodies were also retrieved, are grim reminders of how deeply entrenched gender-based violence is in our societies.

This crisis is stripping families of their loved ones and robbing our country of a future that would greatly contribute to our economic development.

Addressing the femicide crisis requires coordinated and urgent decisive action across all sectors: from government, legislators, civil society actors, and the community.

What next?

It’s all too easy to continue to place the responsibility of resolving what is a societal question in the hands of feminist activists. However, doing so belies the reality of structural power in favour of men, which sustains femicide.

For femicide to be considered a crime for which there is zero tolerance in Kenya, the government must challenge the underpinning logic of women’s murders as justifiable because they don’t conform to conservative societal views on gender.

This would require that the reporting and prosecution of femicide cases don’t sanitise murderers as sensible, responsible people who simply acted out of character.

Additionally, the demand to declare femicide a national crisis expands societal responsibility. It moves the responsibility of addressing heinous crimes against women from women’s rights and feminist organisations.

If it’s true that “not all men hate women and want them dead”, then it behooves men who distance themselves from these crimes to take responsibility for addressing the toxic masculinity that feeds violence against women.

This includes a national response, led by the head of state and his cabinet, who have been silent thus far. Such a response will require the allocation of necessary resources for swift and effective prosecution and driving awareness work to challenge the toxic masculinity that causes femicide.

We must ensure that our legislators prioritise femicide and gender-based violence as a matter of national security. Kenya, like many other countries, is a signatory to international treaties such as CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol 2024 (Maputo Protocol), both of which call for the elimination of discrimination and violence against girls and women.

There is a significant gap at the grassroots level, with many cases remaining unreported. This highlights the urgent need for our parliament to pass and enforce frameworks that impose stricter penalties for gender-based violence and immediate consequences for perpetrators.

Women county MPs should take the lead in speaking out against these heinous acts directed at women and girls, as they are elected to represent their interests.

We need to leverage data, technology, and transparency to track progress in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). One of the biggest challenges in addressing these cases is the lack of reliable and easily accessible data.

If we had a centralised database for GBV cases, we could easily track trends, hold authorities accountable, and measure the effectiveness of interventions. Moreover, this data could inform and influence national policies aimed at addressing gender-based violence.

The change Kenya requires is for everyone to say one case of femicide is one murder too many. As individuals in our communities, we must raise our voices to demand that women deserve safety, dignity, and respect—without exception.

As organisations, we can support and collaborate on community initiatives and fund survivor support services. As a democratic country, we must make a firm commitment to ensuring a future where women and girls can live without fear for their safety.

Nellie Chepkemoi is vice chair at WeCare CBO in Kenya. She is a public policy, gender, leadership and public accountability expert, as well as NALA FellowEmail: nellylngt@gmail.com.

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