In response to the alarming surge in gender-based violence across Kenya, hundreds took to the streets of Nairobi on Saturday, protesting against the alarming rise in femicide cases in Kenya.
The protest, echoing the sentiments of a nation in shock, brought attention to the brutal deaths of over a dozen women this month alone, with campaigners holding placards that read “Being a woman should not be a death sentence” and “Patriarchy kills.”
The demonstration, which caused a standstill in Nairobi’s central business district as protesters chanted “Stop killing us” on their march to parliament, highlighted the urgency for action against gender-based violence.
The recent shocking cases, including the murder of a 26-year-old woman at a short-term rental apartment and the gruesome killing of a 20-year-old woman, have triggered nationwide shock and demands for justice.
Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter labeled femicide as the “most brutal manifestation of gender-based violence,” emphasizing its unacceptable nature and urging authorities to expedite investigations and prosecution.
The call for change reverberated at the protest, with individuals like Terry Wangare, a communications officer, declaring, “It’s time for Kenya to stand up and make a decision.”
The distressing statistics further underscore the gravity of the situation, with more than 30 percent of women in Kenya experiencing physical violence and 13 percent facing sexual violence, according to a government report.
Human rights watchdogs argue that reported numbers represent only a fraction of actual cases, as evidenced by the Femicide Count recording at least 152 cases of femicide in Kenya last year.