In recent years, femicide – the intentional death of women because of their gender – has become a major issue in Kenya. From the murdering of young girls to the gruesome slaughter of women in their prime, the country is experiencing a quiet pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV) which has devastating implications, particularly for vulnerable age groups such as those under the age of 18 and those between 18 to 25, raising serious issues and concerns.
Mercy Kwamboka, a promising 20-year-old chemistry student at the University of Nairobi, had her bright future tragically cut short between September 27th and 28th, 2024 when she was brutally murdered and her body discarded in a thicket in Nairobi’s Mwiki area. Mercy had left her house on the evening of the 27th, never to return. Her worried parents raised the alarm the following day, only to be met with the devastating news of their daughter’s death.
Mercy’s body was found partially unclothed, bearing bruises on her thigh, lower back, and ankle, indicating a violent struggle with her attacker. Her assailant, a man she had met online and developed a close friendship with, carried out this heinous act with the help of a friend, a military officer, before dumping her body.
Similarly, in the case of Cynthia Makokha, a Kibera Secondary School girl aged 17, she was kidnapped, raped, and fatally stabbed before her body was thrown into the river on October 4th, 2021 as she was returning home to Emanyasia, Mumias East County.
These two tragic cases are part of a grim pattern of femicide in Kenya that shows no sign of slowing down.
Heartbreaking statistics
According to Femicide Count, one of the few organizations that records these homicides, the real scale of the epidemic is significantly underestimated. From 2019 to 2024, approximately 500 incidences of femicide were reported, including 152 murders in 2023 alone.
Data from Africa Data Hub shows that out of these cases, 371 were perpetrated by the husbands or boyfriends of the victims, 99 by strangers, and the remainder by friends, family, or ex-partners.
Statistics indicate that since 2016, 25 women under the age of 18, 44 women aged over 50, 64 women aged between 35 and 50, and a frightening 211 women between the age of 18 and 35 have been victims of femicide.
Furthermore, 2024 appears to be the year with the highest number of femicide cases, with about 173 documented cases as of September 2024 and a worrying average of two new cases every three days. Some of the recent and painful experiences of young women victimized by these unfortunate situations support these figures.
A culture of violence: root causes
According to Shukri Hussein, an expert in anti-trafficking and GBV who formerly worked as a national coordinator for the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery in Kenya, the patriarchal attitude is a major cause of GBV.
This is not only visible in rural communities but also in urban settings too. She gave several examples of women who were using public transport or simply walking around town dressed in short skirts or in a way that was perceived to be ‘masculine’, and described how they would be undressed in public and the videos of this would be posted online but no one is ever arrested for these incidents.
Another issue is that police officers frequently ridicule victims of intimate partner abuse when they report domestic violence and accuse them of being at fault themselves thereby discouraging them from reporting which contributes to the issue of underreporting, even if the victim survives.
Patriarchy affects not only the impoverished but also the most accomplished women, who face assault and condemnation for challenging established gender norms. Expert Wangui Ngethe, a feminist and climate change advocate, explained that women have greater support and are becoming financially and educationally empowered which has led them to be less cooperative in the face of patriarchal demands. Unfortunately, this development has left many men feeling helpless which has resulted in an alarming increase in incidences of femicide as a poisonous reaction to the women’s newfound liberty.
Deficient legal system
According to GBV advocacy organizations, while laws do exist to protect women and girls, enforcement is lax, and the conviction rates for femicide cases are disconcertingly low. There is a significant difference in the time between the occurrence of these horrendous crimes and the passing of sentences.
Monica Kimani’s murder on September 19, 2018, sent waves of unrest throughout the country. However, the wheels of justice moved slowly, requiring 1969 days for a conviction to be achieved on February 9th, 2024. Meanwhile, Sharon Otieno’s murder on September 3, 2018, still remains unsolved over 2029 days since the crime was committed. According to Africa Data Hub, the average length of time between murder and sentencing is 1900 days. However, it is important to note that this average is based on media coverage and may not accurately reflect the facts of each case.
This leads to another major issue – the lack of comprehensive data collection and public reporting. This dearth of extensive reporting adds to the lack of public understanding of the difficulties confronting the justice system which include a lack of continuity caused by transfers, insufficient resources for qualified officers, and inadequate assistance to address delicate situations. Corruption and influence also undermine the legal system, particularly when evidence is mismanaged.
Preventive measures
From the perspective of an expert, Shukri Hussein explained how matters could be improved:
- There is a need for a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to raise awareness and reduce GBV in Kenya.
- To create meaningful change, there is a need to involve men and boys in discussions about traditional gender norms and harmful cultural practices, positioning them as allies in preventing violence against women and girls.
- Collaboration between GBV organizations and those focused on economic empowerment and education is key. Better access to education and economic opportunities must be the cornerstone of prevention efforts.
- A key recommendation involves the establishment of Gender Desks with trained officers, and institutional consistency in training to ensure effective victim support.
- For effective tracking, a centralized database accessible by GBV organizations and law enforcement to consolidate sensitive and statistical data is needed to foster a clearer understanding of GBV cases nationwide.
