Human rights organizations, led by the Federation of Women Lawyers of Kenya (FIDA), are calling for the government to declare the rising murders of women and girls a national disaster. With the current death toll at 30 this year, FIDA, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and eight other rights groups accuse the government of neglecting the severity of these cases.
FIDA also aims to introduce femicide as a distinct crime in the penal code. In Kirinyaga County, Citizen TV captured the pain of a grieving mother, Lucy Njeri, as she mourned her daughter, Seth Nyakio, who was brutally killed in Thika. Nyakio, the daughter of a Nominated Kirinyaga County MCA, is one of the many women recently targeted in violent attacks.
LSK Deputy President Mwaura Kabata reported that “at least 30 women have lost their lives in 2024 due to domestic violence and femicide, often at the hands of intimate partners.” However, families of victims and rights groups allege that law enforcement has responded too slowly.
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“These cases have been reported to the National Police Service, but the investigation pace is excruciatingly slow,” Njeri stated, with Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru questioning the police’s efforts. The government has not only failed to protect women from such violence, claim the rights groups, but also struggles to prosecute suspects. They cite the example of Collins Jumaisi, the main suspect in the Kware case, who mysteriously escaped police custody nearly two months ago.
“The National Police Service has not provided a thorough account of his escape or what is being done to re-arrest him,” said FIDA board secretary Angela Mwadumbo. “Their laxity in dealing with such cases, in this instance, equates to aiding and abetting these crimes.”
These groups are now urging the President to declare femicide a national crisis and take direct action. “We call on the President to officially label femicide a national crisis and assure the public of proactive steps to protect women and girls,” stated Mwadumbo. They also demand that the National Police Service provide a comprehensive update on investigations within 14 days. Additionally, they request the appointment of a gender cabinet secretary and ongoing progress reports on femicide cases.
In response, the organizations have vowed to pursue legal reforms, with FIDA-Kenya planning to propose femicide as a separate offense in the penal code. They warn that failure to act within 30 days could lead to organized protests by women and girls across the country.
