Let's address gender-based violence and women's mental health as well

Hannah Wendot Cheptumo Nominee for Cabinet Secretary, Gender, Culture, The Arts and Heritage during her vetting process before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments at County Hall, Nairobi on April 14, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The rising cases of femicide continue to negatively impact the gains made in combating gender-based violence. In recent years, Kenya has witnessed an alarming increase in the number of women killed often by close family friends, husbands, former lovers or even people very well known to them within the community. These brutal murders point to a deeper societal crisis emanating from male dominated norms, society's failure to call out such issues and normalising violence against women.

Femicide, the killing of women and girls, often based on reasons or because of their gender, has reached alarming rates. According to Africa Data Hub, there were over 930 cases reported between 2016 and 2024. Last year alone, Kenya recorded 172 femicide cases, an increase from 152 cases in 2023. Even more disturbing, 97 cases were reported between January and March this year. The murder of a university student, whose body was discovered in a water storage tank recently, is only one of many cases that reflect the magnitude of the crisis. All these cases are a clear indication that no woman is truly safe.