Why activists want State to declare femicide a national crisis
Anti-GBV protesters carry a coffin along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on June 1,2026 during a demonstration against the rise in femicide and pedicide cases in Kenya.
Hundreds of Kenyans and civil society activists on Monday took to the streets of Nairobi to protest the alarming rise in femicide, violence against women, and the disappearance of children.
The protesters, majority of whom were women, held a peaceful sit-down on Kenyatta Avenue in a bid to press the government to take action against the rising cases of femicide and the disappearance of children.
They sang, waved banners, chanted anti-femicide slogans and urged leaders to prioritise the safety of women and children, saying every life lost to femicide or infanticide represents a failure of society and the justice system.
The protests come following a distressing wave of murders targeting women, which activists term a mass burial for the victims of the crimes. The demonstrators wore white shirts and attire to signify peace and mourning.
They, in particular, took issue with the government over the failure to act on the recommendations of the Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender Based Violence (GBV), including femicide.
President William Ruto early last year appointed the 43-member task force to evaluate legal frameworks, identify trends, and enhance survivor support in relation to gender-based violence and femicide.
Njeri Migwi, the executive director of Usikimye, an organisation fighting for the eradication of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide, said they have so far documented 67 cases of femicide from January this year.
She said it is sad that six months after the task force handed the report to the President with a raft of recommendations, none of them have been implemented.
“We are calling on the government to act swiftly and implement the report. Women are no longer safe, and things cannot continue this way where women live in perpetual fear. We have to say no to femicide,” said Ms Migwi.
Protesters against femicide and pedicide converge on Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi on June 1,2026.
She called on men to stand up for women by being ambassadors against femicide and GBV. “Men are our brothers, fathers, and sons, and they need to stand up for us. We call upon men to join us in the anti-femicide movement.”
Teresia Wavinya, the vice president of the Law Society of Kenya, also took a swipe at the government over the slow response to the femicide menace in the country.
“We cannot see what the government has done to fight this menace that is threatening our women population. It's sad to see that the government has not taken any initiative to work on the recommendations of the task force report. The lives and dignity of the Kenyan women are important and should be taken care of,” she said.
She also called for the establishment of a gender desk in all police stations in Kenya that should have trained female police officers who have skills in dealing with gender based violence matters.
Rachel Mwikali, the coordinator of End Femicide, called for femicide to be declared a national crisis, saying that doing so will help allocate public resources to fight the menace.
The activist called for stronger law enforcement, faster investigations, and tougher action against perpetrators, arguing that the killings have reached alarming levels and require a coordinated national response.
Among the prominent leaders who joined the demonstration were former Chief Justice David Maraga, who called on the government to get serious about ending femicide and the disappearance of children in the country.
Task force report
The femicide task force handed over the report to President William Ruto in January this year. The report had a raft of recommendations to end the GBV and femicide menace in the country.
However, despite the group's submission of a report with recommendations, no action has been taken to date.
As the report remains unimplemented, femicide continues to rise, with the latest statistics indicating at least one woman being murdered per day.
The demonstrators also called for the establishment of specialised courts to handle femicide, child trafficking, mandatory vetting for anyone working with children, and the establishment of a sexual offender registry where convicts of sexual offences will be listed.
The protestors also called for accountability and stronger sentencing against perpetrators, justice and support for survivors, stronger protection for children, and police accountability while handling cases of sexual violence.
Hannah Cheptumo, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children's Services, two weeks ago raised the alarm over a surging national crisis of femicide and GBV.
Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hannah Cheptumo.
Ms Cheptumo warned that violence against women has reached critical levels, stressing the need to strengthen protection systems across all societal sectors.
The Ministry and women leaders are working with groups like the Kenya Red Cross and the National Gender and Equality Commission to promote public awareness and safety.
“Timely reporting is critical to enable swift intervention, investigations, rescue operations, rehabilitation and access to justice for affected persons,” she said.
Among the measures being undertaken are fast-tracking prosecutions of perpetrators, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and enhancing penalties for offenders involved in femicide and child abuse cases.
She announced the expansion of safe houses, one-stop crisis centres, and child rescue and rehabilitation services.
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