Chief Justice Martha Koome has condemned the alarming increase in femicide cases in Kenya, calling for urgent collective action to address the issue.
In a statement released on Thursday, Justice Koome emphasized that ending violence against women requires more than legal solutions; it demands a complete shift in societal values and attitudes toward women and girls.
Koome urged Kenyans to confront and dismantle the structures that enable such violent acts to persist. She emphasized the importance of breaking the silence surrounding femicide and encouraged communities to foster environments where women feel safe, valued, and respected.
“We must commit to creating communities where women and girls feel safe, valued, and respected,” she said.
Koome also highlighted that addressing femicide cannot be separated from the broader issues of justice and dignity, particularly concerning vulnerable groups like children in conflict with the law.
She pointed to the troubling rise in violence against women, stressing that every Kenyan has a responsibility to protect and uplift those who suffer from gender-based violence.
“Women and girls in our communities—those who are our daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends—are enduring unspeakable violence,” Koome noted.
The Chief Justice’s appeal comes amid an increase in reported cases of femicide in Kenya, sparking public outcry and calls for immediate intervention.
Passaris on femicide cases
On October 27, 2024, Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris highlighted that the increasing cases of femicide are more of a societal issue than something that can be solely addressed through political or justice systems.
Passaris highlighted the need for immediate interventions, calling on both governmental and civil society organizations to increase vigilance and establish effective structures that can prevent future cases.
“May society become more vigilant as government and civil society organizations put more structures to arrest and stop the next perpetrator from giving us another victim,” she stated.
The killings
Recent femicides have ignited public outrage, with multiple women found murdered in grisly incidents across the country. Days ago, three women in Nairobi’s Eastleigh were murdered, and their bodies were dumped in separate locations.
A young woman was also recently strangled in her friend’s house in Thika.
Another case involved a Mombasa taxi driver found dead in Nakuru after going missing.
Many of these cases have been linked to close acquaintances or intimate partners, which activists argue points to deeply rooted issues of gender-based violence and inadequate legal protections for women.
These killings have sparked protests, with activists calling for urgent reforms in Kenya’s judicial processes to expedite cases and ensure that perpetrators face justice.
