Content warning: This article mentions gender based violence.
On January 10, 2025, Kenya’s President Dr William Ruto appointed a 42-member taskforce to address the high rates of femicide and gender-based violence (GBV) occurring across the country.
Last year alone saw 97 femicide cases between August and November, and an estimated 4,000 GBV cases every month. In response to this, President William Ruto declared on November 20 last year that the government had allocated 100 million shillings to fight femicide and gender-based violence.
On December 17, the Cabinet – in the last meeting chaired by the President – approved the setting up of the working group. “The working group will engage religious leaders, parents, schools, security agencies, and all other stakeholders to identify gaps in law enforcement and social values that contribute to this crisis,” a dispatch from Cabinet indicated.
In the Gazette Notice, President Ruto emphasised the need for action urgently, stating that the rise in GBV and femicide cases inflicts immense emotional and physical harm not only to individuals, but also to families and communities. This in turn spirals to deepening gender inequalities in the society thus hindering sustainable development.
While stressing the need to uphold human rights, Ruto pointed the constitutional provisions including Article 26 (Right to Life), and Article 29 (Freedom and Security of Person), as critical in structuring the State’s response to these violations.
“Every Kenyan has a right to live in dignity, free from fear and violence. It is our collective duty to ensure that these rights are protected and upheld,” said President Ruto.
As reported by other news publications, the Gazette Notice indicates that the taskforce is mandated to assess, review and recommend measures to strengthen institutional, legal and policy response to GBV and femicide. This includes identifying its trends, hotspots and causes.
The taskforce will be led by former Chief Justice, Nancy Baraza (pictured above in this article) and will be reporting to the Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki through the Principal Secretary for Gender – and is expected to submit its findings to the President within 90 days.
The members of the taskforce are professionals sourced from different sectors. They include Citizen TV’s investigative journalist, Frankline Wallah, Law Society of Kenya’s President Faith Odhiambo, Nairobi Women Hospital founder, Dr. Sam Thenya and Linah Jebii Kilimo, former Member of Parliament.
To achieve this, they will be required to conduct community engagements to gather insights from the affected and propose amendments to strengthen laws and improve enforcement mechanisms.
The taskforce is also tasked with examining gaps in resource allocation, operational effectiveness, and training levels within institutions managing GBV-related cases.
Analysing the adequacy of current legal and policy frameworks in addressing this issue will be another key focus for the group in the legislative review.
Another integral point to the taskforce will be identifying psychological issues related to the commission of crimes and addressing socioeconomic challenges.
In carrying out this assignment, the working group is expected to cooperate with experts, conduct public hearings, examine official reports or case findings, and collaborate with the National Government Administration (NGAO) to ensure effective implementation.
Many human rights advocates have been looking forward to this step. The Nakuru County Gender, Social Services and Inclusivity Officer, Gladys Kamuren gave a stern warning against the perpetrators during a public protest against GBV and femicide (in November, 2024).
Assumpta Wangui, a prominent human rights advocate and leader, had also been on the record calling on the courts to expedite GBV and femicide cases. “The courts must prioritise these cases to ensure justice for the victims and act as a warning for potential offenders,” said Wangui.
Speaking to Missing Perspectives, Daniel Kipchumba, a media professional and an advocate of human rights, said the appointed members of the taskforce ought to work having in mind the emotional, economic and physical pain the victims of GBV and femicide – and their families – have endured. “The taskforce is as efficient as the appointee. They therefore need to be engaged in a thorough fact finding mission if this issue is to be fully addressed and victims obtain justice,” said Kipchumba.
According to UN Women, on the International Day for the elimination of Violence against Women, the report Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/Family Member Femicides, revealed that femicide, which is the most extreme form of violence against women and girls, “remains pervasive globally”.
Globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023, of which 60 percent (51,100) were committed by an intimate partner or a family member, reports UN Women. This data shows that 140 women and girls die every day at the hands of their partner or close relative, translating to one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes.