NAIROBI, Kenya – Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has praised President William Ruto for forming a technical working group to evaluate, examine, and suggest ways to improve the nation’s institutional, legal, and policy response to Femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) within three months.
According to Mudavadi, in the State of Security Statement delivered in December 2024, the state highlighted the alarming rise in Femicide in 2024 and the staggering 7,107 reported cases of sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) between September 2023 and December 2024.
“Under the leadership of Justice Nancy Baraza, the 35-member Working Group has a critical mandate: to uncover trends, identify hotspots, and address root causes of GBV and Femicide,” Mudavadi said in a statement posted on his official X account.
Other notable figures include Citizen TV investigative journalist Franklin Wallah, Federation of Women Lawyers—Kenya (FIDA) boss Anne Ireri, and Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo.
Why Kenyans should be united in the fight against GBV and Femicide
Mudavadi, the Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Cabinet Secretary, said the group would evaluate existing legal and policy frameworks, propose enhancements, and advocate for more vigorous enforcement to bridge gaps in protecting vulnerable individuals.
“This working group is set to deliver actionable recommendations on prevention, investigation, prosecution, and survivor support, ensuring a robust institutional, legal, and policy response. Together, we must unite to build a safer, more just society where such acts of violence are no longer a grim reality,” Mudavadi said.
I commend H.E. President @WilliamsRuto, for gazetting the establishment of a Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a crucial stride toward addressing this deeply troubling issue in our society. In our State of Security Statement delivered in December 2024, we…
What kind of gaps exist in the fight against GBV and Femicide in Kenya
The working group is in response to the rise in GBV and femicide cases in the nation, which President William Ruto claims continue to cause significant physical, psychological, and financial harm to individuals, families, and communities, aggravating inequality and obstructing sustainable development, according to a notice published in the gazette on Friday, January 10, 2025.
In GBV and femicide instances, the notice points out that there are gaps in prevention, response, investigations, prosecution, data management, and survivor support systems. Such flagrant violations stress the country’s social fabric and endanger national security.
“For those reasons, therefore, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, in the exercise of the powers conferred on the Head of State and Government by the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Kenya, do establish a Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Including Femicide, to assess, review, and recommend measures to strengthen the institutional, legal, and policy response to GBV and Femicide in the country,” the gazette notice adds.
The group will also conduct community engagements to gather input on solutions to combat GBV and Femicide and provide actionable recommendations on prevention, investigation, prosecution, and survivor support mechanisms in GBV and Femicide cases.
