NAIROBI, Kenya — A coalition of women’s rights activists has called on President William Ruto to declare femicide a national disaster, urging a stronger and more immediate response to what they describe as an escalating crisis of violence against women, often by intimate partners.
The Coalition of Grassroots Human Rights Defenders (CGHRD) issued this plea on Sunday, following a report by the Kenya Police Service showing a grim rise in such cases, with 97 women reported killed within a three-month period.
The coalition’s statement highlights the urgent need for judicial reviews of cases involving violence against women, pushing for expedited trials and accountability.
The lobby group emphasized that femicide must be addressed as a matter of basic human rights, linking it directly to constitutional protections like the right to life and freedom from torture and degrading treatment.
“This rising wave of violence against women should trigger a robust response from all arms of government,” the coalition urged in its statement, stressing that both state and non-state actors must take firm action against what it described as a systemic and normalized issue.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lang’at, who presented the report, acknowledged the alarming trend and called for immediate intervention to address what he referred to as an “urgent societal crisis.”
“This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused actions and collaborations to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in our society,” said Lang’at.
However, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin questioned the notion of gender-targeted violence, suggesting that most incidents result from general criminal motives rather than a specific bias against women.
“We are not saying there is a deliberate effort to target women. In most cases we have investigated, the motive is criminal, not gender-specific,” he said.
The recent murder of a woman, her daughter, and niece in Eastleigh, Nairobi, underscores the coalition’s concerns, with records indicating that more than ten women have been killed in January alone.
CGHRD leader Rachel Mwikali expressed alarm over the trend, particularly incidents targeting young women in universities and colleges, and urged educational institutions to take proactive steps to detect and prevent such violence.
“Management in higher learning institutions must implement early warning systems and enforce strict measures against perpetrators,” said Mwikali, emphasizing that existing laws must be scrutinized for their adequacy in addressing femicide.
The coalition also raised concerns about a perceived lack of urgency among security agencies, suggesting that patriarchal attitudes might be hindering the effectiveness of their responses.
“Security agencies must treat femicide cases with the seriousness they deserve,” Mwikali stated.
The rising rates of femicide have recently drawn comments from national leaders, including President Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome, both of whom have called for faster and more forceful action by law enforcement.
The Coalition of Grassroots Human Rights Defenders (CGHRD) issued this plea on Sunday, following a report by the Kenya Police Service showing a grim rise in such cases, with 97 women reported killed within a three-month period.
The coalition’s statement highlights the urgent need for judicial reviews of cases involving violence against women, pushing for expedited trials and accountability.
The lobby group emphasized that femicide must be addressed as a matter of basic human rights, linking it directly to constitutional protections like the right to life and freedom from torture and degrading treatment.
“This rising wave of violence against women should trigger a robust response from all arms of government,” the coalition urged in its statement, stressing that both state and non-state actors must take firm action against what it described as a systemic and normalized issue.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lang’at, who presented the report, acknowledged the alarming trend and called for immediate intervention to address what he referred to as an “urgent societal crisis.”
“This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused actions and collaborations to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in our society,” said Lang’at.
However, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin questioned the notion of gender-targeted violence, suggesting that most incidents result from general criminal motives rather than a specific bias against women.
“We are not saying there is a deliberate effort to target women. In most cases we have investigated, the motive is criminal, not gender-specific,” he said.
The recent murder of a woman, her daughter, and niece in Eastleigh, Nairobi, underscores the coalition’s concerns, with records indicating that more than ten women have been killed in January alone.
CGHRD leader Rachel Mwikali expressed alarm over the trend, particularly incidents targeting young women in universities and colleges, and urged educational institutions to take proactive steps to detect and prevent such violence.
“Management in higher learning institutions must implement early warning systems and enforce strict measures against perpetrators,” said Mwikali, emphasizing that existing laws must be scrutinized for their adequacy in addressing femicide.
The coalition also raised concerns about a perceived lack of urgency among security agencies, suggesting that patriarchal attitudes might be hindering the effectiveness of their responses.
“Security agencies must treat femicide cases with the seriousness they deserve,” Mwikali stated.
The rising rates of femicide have recently drawn comments from national leaders, including President Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome, both of whom have called for faster and more forceful action by law enforcement.
