FEMICIDE IN KENYA
Trigger warning: discussion of femicide and violence against women
Introduction
On January 27th of this year, protests erupted across Kenya, in Nairobi and other major cities, calling for an end to femicide and violence against women. Just a week earlier, Rita Waeni, a 20-year-old student from Nairobi was killed and dismembered in a short-let apartment. Her body was found dumped in a rubbish collection point in the central business district of the city.
Days before, 26-year-old Starlet Wahu, a popular Instagram figure, was found dead in an Airbnb room, bleeding out from a fatal stab wound inflicted by a man she met online. CCTV footage captured her and a male figure walking into the room in Nairobi and the next day, he left the premises with bloodied clothes and a possible leg injury. Starlet was found lifeless with stab wounds and bite marks, and the police found HIV test kits and a bloodied knife in the room.
These are just two cases on a national scale in Kenya, where femicide is prevalent. According to a 2020 report by the World Health Organisation, Kenya experiences one of the highest rates of femicide in Africa, with an estimated 47 women killed each week. In this article, I will discuss femicide in the Kenyan context, focusing on how it is underreported, responses from governments, and the power of protest.
The Kenyan Context
The United Nations defines femicide as “gender related killings and violence against girls and women due to their gender”. Dubbed the most “brutal and extreme manifestation” of violence against women, femicide tends to be “driven by stereotypes, gender roles, discrimination, unequal power relations between women and men and harmful social norms”. Activists have developed this definition, expressing that the killings are not spontaneous or random, but rather part of a system where such violence is inherent. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace state that:
“The goal of the femicide label is inherently political: it seeks to draw a connection between gender- motivated killings and misogynistic attitudes, norms and structures that pervade society and justify violence as a means of disciplining women and controlling their behaviour.”
Waeni and Starlet’s cases epitomise femicide as being a “silent crisis” in Kenya. In January 2023, Femicide Count Kenya, an organisation monitoring killings reported in the news, announced that it had recorded the highest amounts of femicide in Kenya in the past five years with at least 152 killings.
Africa Data Hub Research
The Africa Data Hub found that femicide in Kenya is a recurring problem, rather than a series of isolated incidents. Analysing cases from 2016 to 2023, the Africa Data Hub tracked femicide cases reported in Kenyan newspapers, creating a living database that humanised the toll of women killed by their partners and family members. Some key findings are outlined below:
The highest number of killings occurred in 2018 with 95 cases.
Women aged 18-40 formed the highest demographic of victims in the country.
Intimate partners and family members perpetuate the majority of killings. In 75% of cases, killings were committed by a person who knew the murdered woman.
In 15% of the cases, the woman was killed by a complete stranger.
Femicides were highest in Nairobi, Kiambu and Nakuru Counties (in the South West of the country).
A pattern of abuse is present - the analysis shows that in most cases, the murders of the women were preceded by domestic violence. However, these cases became even more horrifying as the data found that stabbing, hacking and strangulation was used to end the lives of these women.
As the most up-to-date and extensive representation of femicide in Kenya, the Africa Data Hub’s research can be seen as an accurate reflection of cases. The Africa Data Hub has also reported on the legal process of femicide cases. On average, it takes 1900 days for a case to be decided and the suspect sentenced. However, this timeline may be extended because of several reasons, such as the unavailability of witnesses, Investigation Officers, medical doctors, or poorly trained professionals. Despite recording a concerning number of femicides, research into the issue has been scarce and therefore collection of this type of data is welcome to help close the gap.
Underreporting
Unfortunately, femicide is an underreported crime in Kenya. A key reason for this is that femicide is often miscategorised as other violence. According to the Africa Data Hub, a majority of killings follow systematic domestic violence patterns, involving verbal and physical abuse, sexual violence, gaslighting, and emotional abuse. This suggests, therefore, that femicide cases become mislabelled.
Cultural and economic factors also play a large part in the underreporting of femicide. Kenya is a patriarchal society with men and women playing separate roles. Women are often expected to be submissive, motherly and weak, a power imbalance which leads to their position being devalued in society. Due to the power imbalance in society, women are often disproportionately affected by poverty and the lack of education, healthcare and employment opportunities, meaning that women are economically dependent on their abusive partners or families with no means of escape. Furthermore, traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (“FGM”) and child marriage further perpetuate women’s position in the “name of cultural preservation”. As a result, many cases of femicide go underreported due to fear, stigma or a lack of trust in the justice system.
Responses
Over the past few decades, efforts to curb femicide in Kenya have been muted. In 2021, at the Generation Equality Forum, Uhuru Kenyatta made a wide range of pledges focusing on ending gender-based violence in the country. Since then, courts specialising in sexual and gender-based violence have been established. The current President, William Ruto, has remained silent on the issue so far in his administration. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration (“MINA”) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (“DCI”) have acted. MINA has issued new regulations requiring short-term rental properties to register with the Tourism Regulatory Authority, noting the growing trend of femicides occurring in unregistered short- let apartments, as seen in the cases of Waeni and Wahu. Furthermore, newspapers in Kenya have reported that the DCI is creating a specialised team which will undertake investigations into sexual offences and murders involving women, along with developing preventive strategies. Unfortunately, further details on this effort have not been shared publicly.
UN Women have also responded to the femicide cases. It currently leads specialised training for Kenyan police so that they are able to recognise signs of potential femicide cases and understand the unique challenges faced by women. In addition, through partnerships with civil society organisations in the country, UN Women has led psycho-social support to around 40,000 survivors and given legal assistance to about 1000.
The Power of Protest
The public response to the femicides in Kenya has been outrage with both men and women taking to the streets to protest. These demonstrators see femicide as a structural problem, and thus, needing to be addressed politically. A key demand by the protestors is that femicide should be legally recognised as a crime distinct from murder. Not only could this provide a solution to femicide being mislabelled, but it could also enable key organisations such as the Kenya Bureau of Statistics to collect accurate data which can then be used to inform policies on the issue. Another demand is for femicide cases to be addressed more quickly in courts to prevent delays in cases. This would require officers and those working within the judicial system to receive adequate training to ensure that these cases are handled with care and sensitivity. Protestors also called out the persistent lack of state protection as well as misogynistic attitudes which justified such violence by blaming women’s sexuality, morality, behaviour and appearance. On social media, hashtags like #StopKillingUs, #EndFemicideKe and #TotalShutDownKE have gone viral over the last few months, bringing both national and international attention to the cause. Overall, whether it be on the streets or online, the protestors are fighting for the same cause - an end to femicide and a future where women and girls are protected.
Conclusion
To truly address femicide in Kenya, and perhaps in other parts of the world where it is prevalent, it is important to take a comprehensive approach. Waeni and Wahu’s cases have not been the first cases of femicide, and unfortunately, will not be the last making it imperative for different actors to collaborate and put an end to the crime. The government, civil society, community leaders and even individuals are responsible in taking action to put an end to femicide.
The University of Alabama identifies some key actions that can be taken against femicide in Kenya:
Stricter laws targeting offenders, along with ensuring that they are carried out effectively are crucial. Within this, adequate training for law enforcement officials and judicial personnel is also essential to ensure that femicide cases are dealt with sensitively.
The implementation of educational programmes from an early age to challenge gender norms, promote gender equality and raise awareness of women’s rights.
Ensure that women are empowered financially, something that can be achieved through vocational training, access to micro-financing and opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Mobilising the community including leaders, religious institutions and local organisations, so that they can play a vital role in challenging harmful practices and raising awareness of femicide.
