Address The Nation, Declare Femicide National Disaster: Group Warns Ruto Of Protests

The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA-Kenya) has demanded that President William Ruto address the nation from the State House in the wake of resurging femicide that has seen several women brutally murdered in the last month.

In a statement issued by the lobby group on October 29, FIDA called on the Head of State to consider declaring the vice, which dominated news headlines in January this year and which led to anti-femicide protests, a national disaster and a crisis of public proportions.

The group also urged President Ruto to urgently direct security officers across the country to expedite the probe of all feminicide cases and arrest all the perpetrators within 14 days. "H.E. President Ruto must address the nation and speak to women and girls, providing a clear and unwavering commitment to their right to life, safety and security," the lobby group demanded.

"The President should officially declare femicide a national crisis and a disaster, assuring the public that this administration is actively working to protect women and girls across the nation. We demand that he directs the National Police Service to issue a comprehensive communique on the status of the investigations within the next 14 days."

The non-governmental organisation also demanded that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) provide a detailed public update on the status of investigations and prosecutions of all suspects tied to these femicide cases.

This should include a full explanation regarding the whereabouts of Collins Jumaisi, the main suspect in the Kware dumpsite murders, who remains at large after escaping police custody. 

"We further expect expedited prosecution of the cases in the courts of law devoid of any delay tactics. This is a crucial and necessary step in bringing healing to the families who are extremely traumatised by the loss of their loved ones," added the statement.

FIDA also put pressure on the President with regards to nominating a Gender Cabinet Secretary who will be crucial in the coordination of a multisectoral approach to femicide prevention across Kenya. According to the group, this Cabinet Secretary must spearhead awareness and sensitisation initiatives on evolving issues, such as electronically facilitated gender-based violence (EFGBV), and champion collaborative efforts across government and civil society to address gender-based violence (GBV).

As it stands, the Gender CS is the only cabinet position yet to be filled following the President's appointment of Cabinet Secretaries to constitute the broad-based Cabinet.

"With the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence approaching, we demand that the government takes decisive action toward mitigating GBV, both within families and communities. This will align with this year's theme: “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls". There must be actionable, measurable steps that protect women and girls and provide meaningful deterrents to perpetrators," FIDA also sent its demands to Ruto's administration.

Parliament and Judiciary were not left out of FIDA's demands, amidst its commitment to advancing legislative reforms to introduce femicide as a standalone crime within the Penal Code. The two arms of government were urged to support this amendment to ensure that crimes specifically targeting women based on gender are met with appropriate legal consequences and action.

FIDA warned that failure for action to be taken by the government in the next 30 days would force the group to consider other options that include "mobilising a nationwide picketing of women to demand our right to safety and justice."

"We cannot allow femicide to become a normalised part of our society. The government, in partnership with civil society, must take immediate action to protect women and girls and to guarantee that no woman in Kenya will live in fear simply because she is female," the group went on.

"Our mothers, daughters, and sisters deserve safety, dignity, and peace. We are resolute in our commitment to fight for a society where every woman and girl can live free from the threat of violence."

FIDA in the course of its remarks revealed that in 2024, it documented at least 30 cases of women who have died in the hands of intimate partners as a result of domestic violence and femicide, lamenting that though the cases have been reported to the National Police Service (NPS), the pace of the investigation has been excruciatingly slow, resulting in the denial of justice.

The latest demands came against the backdrop of the tragic murder of three Eastleigh women of Somali origin, adding to the reported murders of Florence Mueni, Alice Ayuma, Vera Mugambi, Seth Nyakio Njeri, Rebecca Cheptegei and Christine Nyakio.

As of Monday, the country woke up to the shock of media reports that the body of Yvonne Jirangwa, a 23-year-old trainee Catholic nun, was found in a sewer pit within a Rongo parish convent. "These are just a few of the incidents publicly reported, and we recognise that countless women and girls' murders have not received media coverage this year alone," the group revealed.

Thousands protest against increasing violence against women in Kenya on January 27, 2024. /AP