In a harrowing and tragic escalation of violence, police in Kenya have confirmed that at least 97 women have been killed in the past three months, many of them in shockingly brutal and violent circumstances. The deaths, which have sparked widespread outrage, highlight a deeply disturbing trend of escalating violence against women in the East African nation. Human rights activists are now calling on the government to take immediate and decisive action, urging officials to declare the rising tide of violence against women a national disaster, as it continues to claim lives at an alarming rate.

The reported cases include women who have been murdered in horrific ways, with some falling victim to brutal forms of domestic violence, while others have been subjected to sexual violence, mutilation, and other savage acts. The gruesome nature of many of these killings has drawn attention to the urgent need for stronger protective measures for women, who are increasingly facing attacks from both intimate partners and strangers alike.

Activists, including leaders of local women’s rights organizations, have been vocal in their condemnation of the government’s failure to effectively address these systemic issues. In January of this year, thousands of women across the country took to the streets in mass protests, demanding that the government enact stronger laws and policies to protect women from violence and hold perpetrators accountable. The protests were a direct response to the increasing cases of gender-based violence, which has reached alarming proportions in Kenya in recent years.

The issue has now become a national conversation, with calls for both legal reforms and societal changes to address the root causes of gender-based violence. Activists argue that while Kenya has made progress in some areas, such as passing laws that criminalize sexual and domestic violence, implementation and enforcement of these laws remain grossly inadequate. The widespread societal attitudes that enable violence against women to persist, coupled with the underreporting of crimes and weak law enforcement responses, have created a climate in which women are vulnerable to abuse.

The recent surge in violence has underscored the fragility of the country’s commitment to protecting women, and the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. As the death toll continues to climb, it has become clear that Kenya must take immediate action to address the epidemic of violence that is claiming the lives of its women and ensure that those responsible for these heinous acts are held accountable. Until then, human rights activists vow to continue their calls for justice and demand that the government treat this crisis with the seriousness it deserves.

Agencies