Kenya: Leader Condemns Rising Femicide Cases
Kenyan President William Ruto, Nov 2024 Photo: @WilliamsRuto
November 21, 2024 Hour: 9:25 pm
Police statistics indicate more than 100 women have been killed in separate incidents between August and November.
On Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto condemned the alarming rise in femicide cases across the country, urging collective efforts to protect women from gender-based violence.
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Ruto, who addressed a televised news conference in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, after meeting with women lawmakers, said his government would provide 100 million Kenyan shillings (about 773,000 U.S. dollars) for a nationwide awareness campaign against gender-based violence.
“I have instructed the criminal justice actors to execute their mandates without delay and hold perpetrators of femicide fully accountable,” he said, noting that the money will be committed for the Safe Homes, Safe Spaces campaign.
Police statistics indicate more than 100 women have been killed in separate incidents between August and November, highlighting the urgent need for focused action and collaboration to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in society.
According to the police, about 90 percent of femicide cases have been thoroughly investigated, resulting in the arrest of suspects, with trials now underway.
The Kenyan leader directed the enhancement of gender desks at police stations and called for similar facilities in hospitals to ensure victims receive immediate attention and care.
He expressed concern that four out of five cases of violence against women are perpetrated by intimate partners, often in places they perceive as safe.
With 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence approaching, Ruto said the women leaders have agreed to embark on a nationwide awareness campaign to confront the vice.
“Women leaders and I stand united in declaring that femicide has no place in Kenya. Together, as a nation, through our concerted efforts, we shall eradicate this vice,” Ruto said.
The president said leaders should always be united in their resolve to ensure that justice is swift and efficient, adding that the femicide challenge requires combined efforts of the government, religious leaders, parents, teachers, civil society, and all citizens of goodwill.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: DW-Africanews
