Five months later, Kenya's GBV taskforce report still awaits implementation
Gender Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo.
What you need to know:
- Five months after the GBV taskforce report, survivors and advocates are still waiting for tangible government action.
- Experts warn that without accountability and funding, recommendations to curb GBV risk becoming another shelved report.
When the 42‑member technical working group on gender‑based violence (GBV), including femicide, submitted its report to President William Ruto at State House on January 26, 2026, it marked a significant moment.
Stakeholders, however, received the development with cautious optimism. At the time, an expert with more than 20 years’ experience in GBV work, who had previously consulted for the government and requested anonymity, issued a warning.
He cautioned against celebrating the president's acknowledgement of the team’s recommendations without sustained follow‑through. “From my experience, GBV work is often viewed as donor‑driven,” the expert said.
“Now that donors are tightening their belts and governments have priorities elsewhere, Kenyans must be the ones to push the President and county governors to prioritise GBV. In any case, the taskforce would not have been formed without two rounds of national protests. We all have a stake in the implementation of these recommendations.”
The team recommended compensation for survivors and, where appropriate, access to reparations that could help them rebuild their livelihoods beyond the violations they have endured.
They also proposed amendments to the Sexual Offences Act (2006), including chemical castration for child defilers and those who assault persons with disabilities. Alongside this, they called for strict minimum sentences for aggravated sexual offences and repeat offenders.
While receiving the report, President William Ruto emphasised that it was more than just a technical document. “It is a reflection of voices, fears, and hopes of the Kenyan people, especially survivors of gender‑based violence,” he said.
He added that he had taken note of its wide‑ranging findings and recommendations on GBV and femicide. “The report lays bare the scale, complexity and evolving nature of GBV in our country, affecting women, men, girls and boys, with women and girls bearing a disproportionate burden,” he stated.
The President described the findings on femicide, domestic violence, harmful cultural practices, and technology‑facilitated abuse as deeply troubling, calling for “collective national reflection and action”.
He stressed the need for institutional coordination, adequate resourcing, and a comprehensive “whole‑of‑government and whole‑of‑society response.”
He assured Kenyans that all recommendations would be carefully considered and subjected to due process in line with the Constitution and the law.
“The report will be reviewed through the appropriate government mechanisms, including the cabinet, relevant ministries, departments, and agencies, to determine policy, legislative and administrative action,” he said.
Read: Can technology help? Kenya unveils digital tool for tackling GBV and femicide amid rising cases
Where legislative reforms are proposed, he added, they will be processed through established constitutional and parliamentary procedures. Even as the government considers the report, President Ruto stressed that ending GBV is not the work of the government alone.
“Parents, families, and communities must nurture respect and non‑violence from every home,” he said. “Religious institutions must uphold the sanctity of life and dignity. Community leaders and elders must reject harmful practices and the culture of silence around abuse.”
He further urged citizens to take responsibility, noting that every Kenyan has a role to play in ensuring GBV is prevented, reported, and punished. “Speak out, report abuse, and stand with survivors,” he said.
On next steps, President Ruto directed the Cabinet Secretary responsible for the sector – the gender ministry – together with relevant colleagues, to process the report through the cabinet within one month, after which appropriate actions would be taken as recommended by the taskforce.
'Another report to be shelved'
When interviewed on February 19, 2025, the taskforce chairperson, Dr Nancy Baraza, said they were determined not to produce “another report to be shelved.”
She was emphatic that they were committed to delivering recommendations that could leave a lasting impact. “His Excellency the President doesn’t want an academic paper but recommendations upon which he can act,” she said.
“So we are not writing a beautiful report; we are coming up with implementable recommendations.”
She said her mission was to lead a taskforce that delivered solutions, not just findings. “If we develop a framework that will end GBV, we will have safeguarded the fabric of our society. People who have been beaten, who cannot walk, cannot be economically productive,” she said.
It has been five months since President Ruto’s directive. However, Gender Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot has not responded to enquiries about progress, despite questions being sent to her on May 20, 2026, and subsequent follow‑ups.
