Strengthen prevention mechanisms to combat femicide, PS urges

James Odero-PCO

State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe has called for the formation of a multi-agency action and vigilance to combat the rising cases of femicide and other forms of gender-based violence in the country.

PS Wang’ombe who bemoaned the recent brutal killings targeting members of the public, mostly women and young girls, said the heinous acts of violence both destroy families and shake the community as a whole making people to live in constant fear.

“Not only do these horrific events devastate families, they also shake the community as a whole making people to live in constant fear and anxiety about their own safety and that of their loved ones,” the PS said.

She made the remarks during a joint press briefing with the National Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation in Nairobi to provide a national update on the investigations into the murder incidents.

According to the Deputy Inspector General of the National Police Service Eliud Lagat, murder incidents against women and girls have risen in the recent past, with the last three months alone recording 97 cases.

PS Wang’ombe emphasized the need to strengthen prevention mechanisms against all forms of violence, particularly femicide and intimate partner violence.

She observed that early detection and reporting of suspicious aggressive behaviors will beef up preventive efforts thus thwarting the occurrence of the incidents altogether.

Further she challenged members of the public to take advantage of the existing legal avenues to seek redress against domestic and other forms of gender-based violence, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguard the life of all individuals irrespective of their gender.  

Among the legal frameworks, PS Wang’ombe cited the Protection against Domestic Violence (PADV) Rules which allow victims of violence or their representatives to apply for and obtain protection orders against a suspected perpetrator, provided the complainant can prove the suspected aggression, threat or a committed case of violence.

She called on the community, security agencies, social protection services, civil society organizations and the justice sector to work together to end gender-based violence.