Kenya's new war on domestic violence: Change or just talk?
President William Ruto.
What you need to know:
- A year after Jennifer* shared her 50-year domestic violence ordeal, we examine if the government has delivered on its promises to combat abuse.
- The government has launched four interventions, including a Sh100m 'Safe Homes, Safe Spaces' initiative and a specialised police unit, while a men's support hotline has been revived.
A year ago, Jennifer* shared her harrowing experience of domestic violence, which she suffered for five decades at the hands of her husband, whom she married in 1957 at the age of 16. She later discovered that her husband, who died in 2010, may have been suffering from bipolar disorder.
This was suggested by the fact that her youngest son had been diagnosed with the same mental disorder, exhibiting symptoms similar to those of his father. The son also tends to chase away his wife when his wild episodes occur.
She was featured in a series exploring Kenya’s trajectory in combating domestic violence from the 1980s to the present, including interviews with wives and husbands. It provided an East African perspective and was an eye-opener, highlighting what needs to be done differently to end intimate partner violence in the region.
Today, we revisit Jennifer's story. All she cares to know is whether there have been any changes in the Kenyan government's approach. At least four interventions have been implemented by the government and men's rights organisations to tackle domestic violence.
In December last year, the government launched a national three-year initiative called ‘Safe Homes, Safe Spaces,’ specifically intended to address femicide. During the official launch in Kakamega, Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi, who is also the acting CS for Gender, indicated that training would include relevant stakeholders, such as boda boda operators.
A month earlier, President William Ruto had committed Sh100 million to the campaign. Before the year closed, PCS Mudavadi reminded Kenyans that femicide was an “elephant in the room,” and had claimed the lives of 100 women in just four months, from August to November of the same year. He also informed the nation that the Inspector General of Police had formed a specialised missing persons’ unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ homicide unit to address cases of femicide. However, these actions were taken only after anti-femicide campaigners marched in January and December, calling for an “End Femicide Now.”
While these interventions are not explicitly aimed at domestic violence, which encompasses violence against women and men, their outcomes directly impact its prevalence. Femicide is often considered the extreme outcome of domestic violence. However, the government has not addressed how it plans to integrate mental health considerations into its efforts, particularly given that Jennifer linked her husband's mental health issues to the domestic violence she endured.
Meanwhile, a month after we published our second instalment on abuse of husbands—which featured a survivor who had launched a hotline for men but had to halt operations because of funding—the survivor felt motivated to revive the initiative.
Dan Shieshie founded 1198, a toll-free hotline dedicated to supporting abused and troubled men, in June 2021 under his eponymous organisation. The hotline offers tele-counselling and guidance on accessing medical and legal assistance. However, it went silent in December 2023 after funding from partners ran out.
“I received a lot of calls from men who had read the story, and they urged me to revive the hotline. I had to use my resources to restart it, but my greatest challenge now is how to sustain it,” he said.
*Name changed to protect the identity of the woman.
