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Before I start writing, May all the victims rest in peace and may all the survivors find peace and healing as they heal from such traumatic experiences.
Kenya has been facing an ongoing femicide and increased gender based violence. As I write this, I feel worried. Worried about what if it's someone else tomorrow? What if it's me tomorrow? In all honesty, I'm scared.
2024 had a record number of reported femicide cases in Kenya and was recorded as the worst year yet in the country's history.
Police used violence and tear gas on hundreds of peaceful protesters marching against GBV and femicide on international human rights day.
The Government Spokesperson reported that 97 women were killed in femicide cases over a span of 90 days from August to October. That is a woman EVERY SINGLE DAY. And those are only the ones that were reported.
In October, three women, Waris Daud, Nuseiba Dahi and Amina Abdirashad, went missing from Eastleigh, their bodies were later discovered in Machakos County.
Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan athlete, was burned alive by her ex-boyfriend here in Kenya, showing the dangers even successful women face from predatory men. This sparked protests once again against femicide and GBV.
Police arrested Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, who confessed to murdering FORTY TWO women with their bodies discovered in a dumpsite. He later on escaped from prison and police are suspected of helping him escape.
Femicide continued in the country and the government failed to take any significant action.
Thousands, mostly women, marched in Nairobi and other cities to protest the rising cases of femicide, following the murders of over 14 women, including Starlet Wahu and Rita Waeni all within the first few weeks of January.
A team by the government was formed in the same month to address the issue of femicide but it has proven to be near useless. This section by an article by the Conversation says this best:
...there is a history in Kenya of setting up task forces with financial resources largely directed at remunerating members and conducting "consultations", only to tell the country what was already known. Consultations are critical for legitimacy and a base for action. But there are more expedient ways to do this work.
A database with more reported cases of femicide can be found here.
Being failed by this system returns it back to us to have to make sure were all safe:
Always have a plan B. At any time, your plan A can fail.
Femicide is defined as "the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender." In all these cases there has been a reccuring pattern, men are the perpetrators and most of the times the enablers. We unfortunately live in a country where the systems in place do not work and sometimes dont even exist to protect women. For example, in Argentina there is the Micaela Law, in Turkey there Law No. 6284 and some Latin American countries have specific legistation towards femicide.
While there are some laws aimed at protecting women, their implementation is often inadequate, and they do not specifically categorise femicide as a distinct crime and the government fails to acknowledge the unique nature of gender-based killings and the different kinds of violences.
We need men to be allies in this conversation and to be part of the solution. As seen on social media many men still joke about and promote killing women for instance "Albert Serem" who on the 10th of December 2024 added a note to his Instagram that said "kill them all." as a reaction to the protests against femicide and when confronted had absolutely no remorse. Stuff like this builds a culture of violence and disrespect towards women. Such people are the ones who are the enablers of femicide and violence against women. We need to hold them accountable. If you are a man, be an ally. If you see a woman in danger, help her. If you see a woman being harassed, stop it, you have the power to stop it. This system is built to work for you so use it to protect women.
We need to stop only justifying the stop because of relation to women. A woman should not have to be your sister to matter, a woman should not have to be your wife to matter, a woman should not have to be your daughter to matter. A woman should matter because she is a human being.
Online there has been such a huge culture of bashing victims of femicide. On X theyre even worse than on platforms like TikTok. I have seen people defend the murders by saying stuff like "Why did she go?" "She deserves it for being a gold digger". We need to stop this culture of blaming the victims. We need to stop blaming the victims. We need to stop blaming the victims and listen to survivors.
A quote I think about alot is "Educate Your Sons". And we need to do exactly that. We need to educate the next generation to be better men and promote positive masculinity. You don't just wake up one day with the hatred in you to decide to kill someone. Hatred is learned.
We need to also promote conversations about GBV and femicide. Talk about the warning signs and the effects with everyone not just women. Conversations like these give perspective to people who would otherwise not be educated and also help them understand the severity of this.
BOYCOTT. Boycott organisations and people who have the power to make change but ignore the issue. Boycott people and organisations supporting police violence. Boycott perpetrators and enablers. Leaving these people and organisations without support or a platform will force them to change.