Kenyan rights organisations and stakeholders have issued a joint statement warning that femicide and violence against women and girls has reached crisis levels, calling for urgent national intervention to prevent further loss of life.
The statement, spearheaded by FIDA-Kenya, highlights daily reports of brutal killings, including strangulation, stabbing, acid attacks, and burning, underscoring what they describe as a deepening national emergency affecting women and girls across Kenya.
Recent Cases Highlight Nationwide Scope of Violence
The groups cites recent tragedies involving university students and professionals, including cases at Multimedia University and Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology, as well as incidents involving members of the security services and public figures, reflecting a pattern of intimate-partner and targeted violence.
According to data from Amnesty International Kenya and FIDA-Kenya, at least eight femicide cases are reported weekly in the country, with women aged 18 to 35 making up the majority of victims, many of them students in higher education institutions.
Perpetrators Often Known to Victims
The organisations warn that most perpetrators are intimate partners or family members, and that many victims had previously reported abuse or sought help that was not acted upon, pointing to systemic gaps in protection, enforcement, and accountability.
Despite a strong constitutional and legal framework, including protections under the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and laws such as the Sexual Offences Act (2006) and the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015), implementation remains weak, leaving survivors vulnerable.
Government Response Under Scrutiny
The organisations further note the government’s Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide has issued recommendations, but key actions including declaring GBV a national crisis and establishing a dedicated fund, remain unimplemented, despite rising deaths.
FIDA Kenya together with the organisations have outlined a 40-day ultimatum, demanding a national crisis declaration, a GBV fund, rapid response systems, strengthened police accountability, and a nationwide awareness campaign to address root causes and improve reporting mechanisms.
If no action is taken within the timeframe, the groups say they will mobilise peaceful demonstrations and pursue strategic public interest litigation to compel the state to meet its constitutional obligations to protect women and girls.
The organisations urge coordinated action from government agencies, security services, civil society, faith-based groups, and the private sector, warning that continued delays will result in further preventable deaths and deepening national outrage.
The groups have called for immediate accountability and measurable progress across all duty bearers without further delay.
