Women protest over rising defilement, murder of children

Women protest over rising defilement cases in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County, on July 6, 2026. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]

Every evening when the final school bell rings in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County, parents no longer breathe a sigh of relief, instead, anxiety sets in.

Many guardians in Shinyalu and its environs now have abandoned their daily chores to meet their children on the way home from school, fearful that another child could disappear. 

The fear is rooted in a series of gruesome attacks that have shaken the constituency, leaving families grieving, residents enraged and women taking to the streets to demand action against what they describe as an escalating wave of sexual violence and killings targeting children.

On Monday, business activities across parts of Shinyalu came to a standstill as women and human rights groups staged demonstrations over rising cases of femicide, defilement and murder, accusing security agencies and leaders of failing to protect vulnerable children.

The protests were triggered by the brutal killing of 10-year-old Angel Natasha a Grade Five pupil at Lugala Primary School.

Natasha disappeared a week ago after leaving school before her body was discovered two days later inside an abandoned pit latrine in Shaviuni village.

A postmortem conducted by Kakamega County Pathologist Dr Dickson Muchanna painted a horrifying picture. 

The examination established that the child had been repeatedly defiled before she was strangled to death.

Natasha's death was not an isolated tragedy.

Just three weeks earlier, another five-year-old girl from Wanzalala village disappeared while walking home from school.

For three agonising days, relatives and neighbours combed villages, farms and footpaths hoping to find her alive.

Their search ended in horror after residents apprehended a suspect who allegedly led them to a sugarcane plantation where the child's body had been dumped after she had been defiled and murdered.

The discovery sparked mob justice, with angry residents lynching the suspect before setting his parents' houses ablaze.

Even before the community had recovered from that tragedy, on Monday, a five-year-old girl who had been missing for three days was rescued in Shaviuni village after she was allegedly defiled and abandoned by the roadside.

Police arrested a middle-aged suspect who is currently being held at Shisasari Police Station as investigations continue.

The succession of attacks has sparked widespread condemnation, with protesters accusing security agencies and local leaders of failing to protect children and women despite repeated cases of gender-based violence in the area.

On Monday women's rights activist Gloria Khamatsi led women in demonstrations stating that residents were alarmed by the increasing frequency of defilement, rape and murder cases involving young girls.

"We are experiencing high cases of gender-based violence in Shinyalu whereby every month we record a defilement, rape and murder case involving women, mostly young girls. We are appealing to the government to address the issue of insecurity to help curb this menace.It is now difficult to leave our children alone from school because we no longer trust anyone," said Khamatsi.

She accused the criminal justice system of failing victims by allowing suspects to return to the community.

"We have been able to arrest culprits but they end up being freed back into society, where they continue intimidating and mocking the victims. We are worried because some police stations have no vehicles for quick response, while our leaders have remained silent as lives continue to be lost," she said.

Resident Faith Busolo also criticised both the national and county governments for what she termed a slow response to the growing insecurity.

"It is not possible that a government that claims to be fighting femicide and gender-based violence has police stations without vehicles to respond swiftly to emergencies. We are demanding both the county and national governments to wake up and strengthen the fight against GBV and femicide," she said.

She added, "We are forced to go for our children from school at evening. We are worried that they will get abducted, defiled and murdered."

Busolo said parents were increasingly living in fear despite investing in their children's future.

"As mothers we are worried because we are investing a lot in our children, only for them to be killed while suspects walk free. It means nothing for the government to invest in education if children continue to be robbed of their future."

Natasha's mother, Emily Imbayi, demanded justice not only against the perpetrators but also against local administrators whom she accused of negligence.

"I want justice for my daughter. Those who ignored our complaints and failed to act should also be held accountable," she said.

The killing has sparked outrage across Shaviuni village, where residents accuse some local administrators of shielding criminals through corruption.

Led by resident Lilian Kisia, locals described Natasha's murder as evidence of a broken system that has failed vulnerable families.

The public outcry prompted political leaders who had attended a function in the area to issue a 24-hour ultimatum to security agencies to apprehend all suspects linked to the killings.

Among those who addressed residents were Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana, President William Ruto's aide Farouk Kibet, Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka.

Ikana called for speedy investigations and prosecution of those responsible.

"We want the security agencies to move with speed and ensure all culprits are arrested because we will not allow a few people in society to destroy the lives of our children, who are our future," he said.

Farouk urged police to intensify patrols and prioritise the safety of children.

"It will be useless for the government to channel billions into the education sector and employ more teachers if the children who are supposed to benefit are being defiled and killed by criminal elements. Police should not only focus on illicit brews but also improve security and rid society of those preying on innocent children," he said.

Shinyalu OCPD Daniel Mukumbu confirmed that detectives had made progress in the investigations.

"We have so far arrested two suspects. We have also secured court orders to hold one suspect for 14 days to allow completion of investigations. We want to assure the affected families that justice will be served through thorough and fair investigations," Mukumbu said.

He appealed to parents and guardians to remain vigilant.

"We are committed to providing maximum security. Parents and guardians should also take extra care of their children and avoid leaving them unattended."