NAIROBI — Kenya’s security report this year has been dominated by the violence and killings of women and girls, with more than 7,100 cases of gender-based violence since September 2023. Included in that number are 100 documented cases of murder against women since August 2024.
Sarah Wambui said she was attacked one morning by her husband of 20 years.
“He attacked me on Jan. 18, 2024,” she said. “He stabbed me all over — 38 stabs from my face, the entire body, even my internal organs, my kidney and liver, were affected. I have been in hospital. I was discharged in August.”
Speaking last week, Foreign Affairs Minister and acting Interior Minister Musalia Mudavadi said the number of incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, or SGBV, against women worries security officers.
“Nairobi County recorded the highest number of SGBV cases, while Samburu and Mandera counties had the lowest incidents,” Mudavadi said. “There were 100 murders of women from August to November 2024. So far, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation has completed the investigations on these, and the majority are pending before court.”
Two weeks ago, hundreds of people took to the streets in Kenya, demanding an end to the killings of women. The protest was dispersed by police using tear gas and making arrests.
The response by police angered demonstrators, human rights groups, and women’s organizations. They accused authorities of not taking the attacks and killings of women seriously.
Wambui’s accused attacker is out of prison and has been threatening to kill her, she said. The mother of two has been moving from one place to another to avoid him.
“Right now, my life is in danger,” she said. “The perpetrator is out, and he has vowed he will finish me, and the case will be discarded. So I am actually in hiding.”
Human rights researchers say patriarchal views and a lack of protection are some of the reasons behind the attacks on women and girls.
Njoki Gachanja, a human rights defender, said the number of abused women may be higher than reported.
"Most of those numbers come from low-income areas where there is a lot of poverty and that is linked to a lot of violence. So, these numbers may sound staggering for people who are on the ground documenting these cases on a daily basis,” Gachanja said. “We know that there are more people who have not been covered by those who made the headlines, and this is a catastrophe that must be addressed by the government."
According to the Gender Violence Recovery Centre, one in three Kenyan women has experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, and 38% of married women have experienced physical violence.
The government has set up a security team to address attacks on women and ensure justice for the victims.
