back to top
HomeEast AfricaFemicide: Hundreds Protest At Violence Against Women In Kenya

Femicide: Hundreds Protest At Violence Against Women In Kenya

Published on

- Advertisement -spot_img

Demonstrations have taken place across major cities in Kenya to protest against the rising cases of femicide and other violence against women.

Hundreds have gathered in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Nyeri and Lodwar, some carrying placards with the names of those who were killed.

A 2022 survey found at least one in three Kenyan women had endured physical violence at some point in their lives.

“I am here because I’m angry,” 33-year-old Winnie Chelagat told the BBC.

“It is wrong, we are tired and we want something to be done about it.”

Men and boys must take responsibility for their own actions instead of the burden being on women and girls to protect themselves, said another protester called Michael Onyango.

“We should educate our sons and tell them that they need to stop killing women.”

Saturday’s protests follow a series of gruesome murders of women – including one victim, later named as Rita Waeni, whose dismembered remains were found stuffed into a plastic bag at an Airbnb rental apartment.

Femicide is defined as intentionally killing a woman or girl because they are female.

Amnesty International says more than 500 cases of femicide were recorded in Kenya between the years 2016 and 2023.

Many of the victims were killed by intimate partners or people known to them.

Campaigners want the authorities to expedite justice for all recent victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

Dozens of local rights groups say the government must declare femicide a national emergency and class femicide as a specific crime, distinct from murder.

In Nairobi on Saturday, demonstrators chanted “Sisi ni watu sio wanyama” in Swahili – meaning “we are human beings not animals”.

Others carried banners saying “only weak men kill women” and “every time you blame the victim you affirm the murderer”.

Victim-blaming has been rife on social media, with commenters in Kenya’s so-called “manosphere” blaming murdered women for their own deaths.

Many messages on online platforms focus on what the victims were wearing when they were attacked, or question why they did not use their mobile phones to tell family and friends their whereabouts.

Despite Kenya having robust laws against gender-based violence, most perpetrators go unpunished. When prosecutions are brought, they often drag on for years in court.By BBC

Related

Just In: AIGP Charles Kataratambi Passes On

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Charles Kataratambi, a longtime senior officer in the...

‘I Did Not Order For His Arrest’- PM Nabbanja Denies Ordering Arrest Of Galaxy TV Journalist

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has dismissed claims circulating in the media that she ordered...

Bobi Wine Hatched Plot To Eliminate Us Before Mpuuga’s 500M Saga- MP Ssegona,Vows To Consult Busiro East Voters

Busiro East MP Hon. Medard Lubega Sseggona has announced plans to consult his constituents...

Uganda,US Sign Pact To Supply AIDS Injectable Drugs

The US State Department announced today that it will introduce the HIV-prevention drug lenacapavir...

More from The Capital Times

Business Boom In Namugongo Ahead Of Martyrs Day

Business has picked up this morning at Namugongo Martyrs shrine according to traders. The...

Here is why the Faras Uganda is the Ultimate Convenience Mobility App for Every Ugandan

Kampala, Uganda – In a fast-paced world where time is increasingly precious, Ugandans are...

Museveni Inaugurates De Heus State Of The Art Fish Feed Factory In Njeru, Buikwe

Njeru, Jinja: De Heus Animal Nutrition, a global leader in animal feed solutions, has...