Kenyans March Against Rising Killings of Women

Hundreds of demonstrators have marched through Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, calling for an end to the killing of women and children in the country.

The protest, which commenced on Monday, brought parts of the city to a standstill as demonstrators demanded urgent government action over rising cases of femicide and missing children.

According to data compiled by data firm Odipo Dev and media outlet Africa Uncensored, at least 69 women have been killed since January in Kenya. The Kenyan Government figures also show more than 10,581 children have been reported missing over the past 16 months, including cases of abduction and trafficking.

Participants dressed in white T-shirts and carried placards reading “End Femicide and Pedicide” as they marched through the streets. They also blocked a major road with a billboard displaying the names of more than 500 victims.

“It is traumatic; I don’t know if I am next,” activist Racheal Mwikali told AFP during the protest.

A mother, Julie Ochieng, also shared her pain after her daughter, 28-year-old Kristabel Anyango, was killed after trying to leave a toxic relationship.

“If you are tired of them, just let them go. Stop killing women,” she said.

Activists say femicide is not classified as a separate crime under Kenyan law, which they believe makes it harder to track and prosecute cases.

Meanwhile, FIDA Kenya, a women’s rights group, says many cases involve violence from intimate partners and are often treated as minor offences.

“There are no consequences, they are being brushed off as small cases… We need serious action and punitive measures,” protester Njeri Mwangi said to AFP.

Also speaking, anti-femicide activist Veronicah Were said she has personally known 10 women who were killed, and many cases remain unresolved.

“Femicide should stand as an offence on its own in our law, that way we will end it,” she said.

Additionally, Amnesty International has described the situation as a “national security crisis,” warning that delayed action is costing lives.

In 2024, Kenya recorded its worst year with an average of 14 women killed each month, based on Odipo Dev and Africa Uncensored’s data. Although President William Ruto set up a task force on the issue, activists say there has been no progress.

“When will our demands be implemented? The killings are still going on,” Were added.