Esther Passaris Heckled During Protests Against Femicide In Nairobi CBD [VIDEO]

The group which turned rowdy had accused the MP of being silent amid the rising cases that saw scores of women murdered across the country.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jan 27, 2024 - 10:35 Updated: Jan 27, 2024 - 16:15
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Esther Passaris Heckled During Protests Against Femicide In Nairobi CBD [VIDEO]
Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris addresses the protests against femicide cases on January 27, 2024. /VIRAL TEA KE

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris was on Saturday, January 27 heckled by activists protesting rising femicide cases to the point that bodyguards had to step in to whisk her away.

The group which turned rowdy had accused the MP of being silent amid the rising cases that saw scores of women murdered across the country.

"Where were you? Go home! Where were you!" The activists protested against the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MP who had attempted to address them at Jevanjee Gardens. 

The chants were followed by "Passaris must go" and "go back home" as she was blocked from addressing the crowd, forcing her to turn to a makeshift podium.

Here is the video:

Attempts by the organisers to restore calm were futile, forcing Passaris to resort to joining the protesters in their walk instead. Her bodyguards stationed close by led her aside for her safety.

However, she did address a section of journalists on the sidelines as the activists presented their petition and asked her to forward it to Parliament. 

Passaris, who defended the rude interruption, had indicated that she understood where the crowd was coming from and that their anger was justified, however noting that she had been pushing for protests actively on the sides.

"I actually suggested we give the petition to parliament it should be a national disaster," Passaris indicated.

The protests were staged in response to the increased systematic killing of women and girls in general across the country owing to their gender.

The most recent murders were those of Starlet Wahu, 26, who was brutally murdered in a short-term rental apartment, and Rita Waeni, a first-year university student whose dismembered body was also found in another short-term rental apartment in Nairobi.

A study conducted by the Africa Data Hub estimates that there will be around 500 femicide victims between 2016 and 2024.

Studies conducted by UN Women show that Africa recorded the highest absolute number of female intimate partner and family-related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims, followed by 18,400 in Asia, 7,900 in the Americas, 2,300 in Europe and 200 in Oceania.

All these killings occur despite the existence of robust international and national legal mechanisms to combat this heinous crime.

In Kenya, the Constitution of Kenya 2010 ensures that the rights of women and girls are protected under Article 27, and the Penal Code provides for penalties for violence against women and girls.

Protesters march in Nairobi CBD on January 27, 2024. /X

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