NAIROBI, Kenya — On Thursday, the Kenyan government identified gender-based violence as the country’s most urgent security crisis, revealing that 100 women have lost their lives in the last four months, primarily at the hands of men they knew, including current or former partners.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi characterized the growing situation as “the elephant in the room,” noting that many of the cases are already under investigation and awaiting court proceedings. Since September 2023, over 7,100 incidents of sexual and gender-based violence have been reported across the nation, according to Mudavadi. To tackle this issue, the inspector general of police has established a specialized task force aimed at addressing femicides—the murders of women or girls due to their gender.
While Kenya faces this troubling trend of gender-based violence, human rights organizations have organized protests urging justice for victims and their families. A recent United Nations report coinciding with the commencement of a global 16-day activism campaign revealed that Africa recorded the highest instances of partner-related femicide in 2023.
In light of these alarming findings, President William Ruto has commanded the police to intensify investigations into cases of gender-based violence, emphasizing the tragic reality surrounding these murders. “It is known that four out of five women killed in Kenya are victims of violence from intimate partners, illustrating that these women are oftentimes unsafe in places that should offer protection,” Ruto stated.
This week, Kenya’s Cabinet approved the establishment of a presidential working group to devise strategies aimed at curbing gender-based violence throughout the nation.
