Kenya grapples with rising femicide as Central leads in cases

Title: Kenya grapples with rising femicide as Central leads in cases

Kenyan police are investigating at least 27 active gender-based violence cases linked to femicide across the country, with the Central Kenya region recording the highest concentration of incidents, according to officials who pledged to intensify enforcement efforts amid growing pressure from civil society groups.

The figures represent cases currently before investigators and do not capture the broader caseload of gender-based violence that advocates say goes significantly underreported due to social stigma, fear of perpetrators, and limited trust in the justice system in many communities.

Kenya experienced a sharp public reckoning on femicide at the start of 2024 when a series of murders of young women, several of whose bodies were found in Nairobi's Mukuru slum, triggered nationwide protests under the hashtag #EndFemicideKE. Demonstrators marched through central Nairobi demanding accountability from law enforcement and the judiciary, accusing both institutions of treating women's deaths as low-priority investigations.

The prominence of Central Kenya in the current caseload is notable given the region's relatively strong economic indicators compared to other parts of the country. Advocates say the pattern challenges assumptions that femicide is primarily a poverty-linked phenomenon, pointing instead to entrenched patriarchal norms, alcohol abuse, and inadequate intervention by local administration officials when early warning signs of domestic violence emerge.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has in recent months established a dedicated gender desk in several counties, though staffing shortages and the absence of specialist training have limited its effectiveness in practice.

Non-governmental organisations working on gender-based violence issues called on the government to accelerate the implementation of the National Policy on Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence and to increase funding for shelters and legal aid services that support survivors through the prosecution process.