The Reality of Femicide in Kenya

More Than Just Numbers

In the wake of rising cases of femicide in Kenya. The "Silencing Women" database, a groundbreaking living archive, aims to humanize the tragic toll of women killed by their partners or family members. By shedding light on femicide—the most extreme form of gender-based violence— awareness is created & accountability is demanded.

A Deep Dive Into the Data

Drawing from court records and media reports, the database meticulously analyzes over 930 female murders, with 628 of these cases meeting the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s definition of femicide. These cases span from 2016 to 2024, revealing disturbing patterns of gender-based violence and systemic failings in delivering justice.

Who is Killing the Women?

The data paints a grim reality: more than 3 in 4 women (77.5%) are killed by someone they know, with intimate partners accounting for the largest proportion of perpetrators. Husbands are responsible for 40.15% of these killings, followed by boyfriends (23.09%), family members (4.85%), and even friends (3.82%). Only 22.5% of female murder victims are killed by strangers, underscoring the pervasiveness of intimate partner violence.

A Pattern of Abuse

Most femicide cases are not isolated incidents. Our analysis shows that many of these murders were preceded by persistent domestic abuse. The UNODC's findings on gender-related killings reinforce this, stating:

“Killings by intimate partners are rarely spontaneous or random and should be examined as an extreme act on a continuum of gender-related violence that remains underreported and too often ignored.” These killings are often the tragic culmination of prolonged cycles of violence, coercion, and control.

A Crisis in Justice

Despite the alarming statistics, justice for victims remains elusive. The "Silencing Women" database has meticulously tracked case judgments, revealing the slow pace of legal proceedings and the frequent failures in prosecution. Many cases remain unresolved, and convictions are far from guaranteed. The lack of efficient legal redress emboldens perpetrators and perpetuates a culture of impunity.

Once a perpetrator is arrested and brought to court, it takes an 4.01 years. According to the Silencing Women database by African Data Hub, this timeframe does not encompass cases involving appeals, which tend to extend the duration even further.