The Presidential Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Femicide has identified the absence of a clear legal framework as a major hurdle in effectively addressing femicide cases in the country.
The task force noted that while femicide incidents are on the rise, the lack of specific legal definitions and mechanisms has made it difficult to investigate, prosecute, and track such cases.
They emphasised the need for urgent legislative reforms to classify femicide as a distinct crime and to strengthen the legal tools available to law enforcement and the judiciary in combating gender-based violence.
“We have done our desk research, and we have noted there is no legal framework or law on femicide. What is defined in the law is murder, and that is in the penal and criminal procedure code,” the task force stated.
“We seek to clearly define what constitutes femicide in the country, and by doing so, we will distinguish femicide from the ordinary murder because femicide is an aggravated form of murder.”
On the issue of Gender violence, the task force noted that though a legal framework existed, there was a need to coordinate and implement the existing legislation.
They recommended managing the coordination of GBV effectively to enhance the response to dealing with these issues conclusively.
“Some of the counties have rescue centres, except for others like Migori county, and therefore we will make recommendations to His Excellency the President so that resources can be channelled to the county to establish those rescue centres,” they said.
They said the move was crucial in rehabilitation efforts in
the counties.
+Their statement comes a week come after the group expressed concerns over the increasingly rampant cases of rape, femicide, mental health, and suicide among women and men.
“We have witnessed many cases that are unreported compared to the ones that are reported. We should report to get statistics, which will aid the government in planning and allocation of resources to the cases,” the technical working group’s chair, Anne Ireri, said in Tononoka Social Hall in Mombasa.
President William Ruto on January 2025 appointed former Deputy Justice Nancy Barasa to head a team that would look into the surge in GBV cases, including femicide.
