Activists give Ruto 30 days to address Kenya's femicide crisis
Fida Kenya board secretary Angela Mwadumbo (left), Fida-K chairperson Christine Kungu (centre) and Law Society of Kenya Vice President Mwaura Kabata, among other civil society officials, address journalists at Fida offices in Nairobi on October 29, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Civil society organisations are demanding President Ruto appoint a Gender Cabinet Secretary and take immediate action against rising femicide cases.
- The groups are calling for legislative reforms to make femicide a standalone crime and want the president to address the nation about this crisis.
Civil society has demanded that President William Ruto appoint a Cabinet Secretary for Gender to lead a coordinated, multi-sectoral drive to combat femicide and gender-based violence.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, representatives from different groups emphasised that such a move would be crucial to addressing the escalating femicide crisis. The groups included Fida Kenya, Siasa Place, the Centre for Community Development and Human Rights, Kenya University Students Organisation, Child Space Nairobi, Kibera Justice Centre, Inspire Teenagers, and Superb Nairobi.
The groups presented several urgent demands, including a call for Dr Ruto to address the nation directly, acknowledge femicide as a national crisis, and reaffirm the government's commitment to safeguarding women's rights.
They requested a comprehensive public update from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations regarding ongoing investigations, particularly concerning Collins Jumaisi, the main suspect in a series of murders who remains at large after escaping from police custody.
Campaign
The organisations urged the government to take concrete actions during the upcoming 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. They called for legislative reforms to categorise femicide as a standalone crime in the Penal Code, emphasising the need for appropriate legal consequences for gender-based violence.
Christine Kungu, the chairperson of Fida-K, condemned the alarming rise in femicide and reiterated the call for presidential action.
“We stand in collective sorrow and outrage at the increasing cases of femicide across Kenya,” she said. “The horrific and consistent violence against women and girls demands immediate, uncompromised action from all sectors, led by the Government of Kenya.”
Mwaura Kabata, the vice president of the Law Society of Kenya, said femicide has become a pressing national emergency, undermining women's and girls' constitutional rights to life and security.
This year alone, Fida-K has documented at least 30 cases of women killed by intimate partners, many of which have been inadequately investigated by the National Police Service.
The groups highlighted the tragic murder of Yvonne Jirangwa, a 23-year-old trainee Catholic nun found dead in a sewer pit, noting that such chilling incidents have left the nation in shock and mourning. They warned that they would mobilise nationwide demonstrations if no action is taken within 30 days.
“We cannot allow femicide to become a normalised part of our society,” Ms Kungu declared. “Every woman or girl deserves to live free from the threat of violence.”
