Kenya: Stop Violence Against Women

The Right to Live Kenya Police in Kenya scuffled with protesters in demonstrations across the country against gender-based violence and femicide Tuesday, following national outrage over a string of brutal killings of women in recent months, the Associated Press reported. In Nairobi, thousands of angry protestors chanting, “Stop femicide” and “Women have rights, too,” flooded the streets, demanding that the Kenyan government take action to stop the killings as police threw tear gas canisters at them and tried to disperse the protests. At least three activists, including the executive director of Amnesty International in Kenya, were detained by police, while dozens reported injuries. The protests are a result of outrage over a spate of killings of women, with police reporting the murders of 97 women from August to October this year, most of them by their male partners. Although gender-based violence has long been endemic in Kenya, this year saw some high-profile killings and a spike in the number of women murdered, causing nationwide anger and calls to action. In July, bags containing body parts of women believed to be murdered by a serial killer were discovered in a dump in Nairobi. The rise in killings in the country is linked to economic disparities and ingrained patriarchal attitudes, researchers say. This problem is not unique to Kenya but reflects a wider problem across the continent. A United Nations report published in November said Africa recorded the highest rate of partner-related femicide in 2023, estimated to be more than 21,000 murders. After months of public criticism, Kenya’s President William Ruto acknowledged last month that femicide was “a pressing and deeply troubling issue.” After meeting with elected female leaders, he committed about $770,000 to a campaign to protect and support victims. Activists and human rights groups have said that that figure is not enough, calling on Ruto to declare femicide a national crisis and allocate more funds. They have also called on parliament to enact a law imposing harsher penalties on perpetrators of gender-motivated killings. Meanwhile, protesters were outraged at the handling of demonstrations by police. Activist Mwikali Mueni said that during the demonstration she suffered a neck injury, inflicted by police officers. “It is very sad that I was injured while championing for women not to be injured or killed,” she told the AP. “If the president is serious about ending femicide, let him start by taking action on the officers who have brutalized us today.” Share this story