Women in central Kenya take to streets to protest alarming rise in femicide

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Hundreds of women in Kenya on Friday took to the streets in central Kenya's Nyeri town to protest the alarming surge in femicide cases across Kenya.

Chanting slogans like "Haki kwa wanawake!" (Justice for women!) and "Stop killing us!", the protestors marched through the town, halting traffic.

Mercy Njeri was among the protestors from Nyeri, which is located approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of the capital Nairobi.

"In the face of injustice, silence is not an option. We, as women, are out here today united against the darkness of femicide. We stand not just for ourselves but for every sister who has been silenced. It's time for action, for justice, and for a future where no woman fears for her life simply because of her gender," Njeri, a businessperson, said.

Mercy Mutana, a youth advocate, noted that addressing femicide requires a radical shift in perspective, noting that it should be treated as a form of "terrorism" against women.

The demonstration was prompted by a recent surge in violence against women, with at least seven Kenyan women losing their lives to femicide since the start of the year.

The Kenyan government has condemned the recent surge in femicide cases and pledged to take action to address the issue.

A recent investigation into femicide in Kenya involves the murder of 20-year-old Rita Waeni. Two Nigerian men, William Ovie Opia and Johnbull Asbor, are prime suspects in Rita Waeni's murder and are currently in police custody.

Although both suspects have appeared in court, they have not yet been formally charged.

The calls for protests against femicide across Kenya originated from various civil society organizations working to raise awareness about gender-based violence and support survivors.