Kenya recorded more than 100 femicide cases in the first three months of 2025, a surge the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) describes as “a disturbing and urgent national crisis.”
The sharp rise in killings of women and girls prompted the President to establish a Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including femicide, through Gazette Notice No. 109.
However, the team’s report is yet to be made public.
According to the Commission, the pattern of brutal murders has revealed deepening risks faced by women across the country and exposed persistent gaps in State protection systems.
“These killings speak to a dangerous environment for women and girls,” the commission said. “The sheer number of cases within such a short period underscores the gravity of the crisis.”
One of the commissioners described femicide as “a monster that is gripping our nation,” warning that the girl child continues to face systemic disadvantages.
“The issue of the girl child has been a major challenge because they do not have the same rights,” the commissioner said.
“They have been exposed to early marriage and femicide, among other abuses, and the relevant agencies should protect the girl child in the rural and urban areas.”
The Commission also voiced concern about the broader social environment that enables violence.
“There are so many instances where youths are idle and they resort to crime,” the chairperson Claris Ogangah noted.
“We need to protect our girls and boys, who we have neglected over the years. We need to strike a balance to strengthen both genders. We need to find a way of safeguarding them through our education system.”
Despite public outcry and increased reporting, KNCHR says survivors and families of victims continue to face slow investigations, stalled cases, and, in some instances, complete inaction by State agencies.
“Femicide is not just a crime, it is a human rights violation,” she added. “The State must demonstrate that women’s lives matter by responding decisively.”
The Commission is now urging the National Police Service to take proactive steps to ensure perpetrators of femicide and related crimes are swiftly investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable.
“We cannot continue losing women and girls to senseless violence,” she said. “Justice delayed is justice denied, and every unresolved case emboldens the next perpetrator.”
The commission further documented 57 deaths linked to violations of the right to life between December 2024 and December 2025, describing the past year as “an affront to Article 26 of the Constitution.”
According to the Commission, most of the violations occurred between June and July during civic unrest across the country.
