Ruto pledges to tackle femicide, faults media coverage
President William Ruto at a past event. In his 2025 annual report to Parliament on the state of national security, he highlighted media coverage as a key challenge constraining efforts to contain the violence.
What you need to know:
- 6,813 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were recorded between September 2024 and August 2025, down four per cent from 7,107 cases the previous year.
More than a week after President William Ruto committed to tackling femicide, a government taskforce report meant to guide the response remains under wraps.
The Technical Working Group on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including femicide, has investigated trends, hotspots and causes of the violence and recommended legal and institutional reforms. However, the report is yet to be made public — even as the President vows to "fully implement" its recommendations.
In his 2025 annual report to Parliament on the state of national security, President Ruto highlighted media coverage as a key challenge constraining efforts to contain the violence.
"A tendency of media to sensationalise cases often harms victims' families and survivors and compromises investigations," he said in the report.
He reported that 6,813 cases of SGBV were recorded between September 2024 and August 2025, down four per cent from 7,107 cases the previous year.
Despite the decline, President Ruto warned that femicide remains a growing concern.
"The growing incidents of femicide not only endanger women's lives but also severely undermine the social fabric of the country, creating a climate of fear and insecurity," he said.
He described SGBV as "not only a major public health concern, but also a grave violation of an individual's human rights and a threat to public safety and security," linking the violence to domestic abuse, rape and honour killings rooted in entrenched cultural norms and beliefs.
Nairobi recorded the highest number of reported SGBV cases at 407, while Samburu County recorded the lowest, with 16 cases.
Although Nairobi, Kisumu and Trans Nzoia counties recorded declines of 146, 78 and 74 cases respectively, increases were reported in Embu (57), Kajiado (56) and Machakos (52), signalling what he described as "localised surges" in SGBV.
He underscored the need for targeted county-specific strategies combining enforcement, awareness and survivor support to sustain progress.
President Ruto also said the government had issued new guidelines regulating Airbnbs and other accommodation facilities, expanded public education on femicide and SGBV, and strengthened gender desks in police stations to handle femicide-related cases.
However, he cited deep-seated cultural and societal beliefs, as well as limited resources and personnel, as significant obstacles to enforcing laws and ending the violence.
He vowed to fully implement the recommendations put forward by the taskforce.
"Going forward, the Government commits to fully implement the report by the Technical Working Group on SGBV, including femicide, and strengthen criminal justice system structures to address SGBV," he said.
