The Kenyan government has declared gender-based violence the nation’s most pressing security threat, with 100 women killed in the past four months alone, most of them by men who were known to them, including intimate partners.
Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi referred to the escalating crisis as the elephant in the room and said authorities have investigated most of the cases, which are pending in court, adding that the police inspector-general has formed a specialised unit to combat the killing of girls or women because of their gender.
7,107 cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been reported in Kenya since September 2023.
As Kenya continues to grapple with a silent epidemic of gender-based violence, human rights groups have held demonstrations, calling for justice to the victims and their families.