Nairobi — At least 100 women were murdered in Kenya between August and November 2024, Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi has revealed.

Speaking on Thursday, Mudavadi, who is also the acting Interior Cabinet Secretary, disclosed that 7,107 Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases have been reported since September 2023, calling the surge in femicide "deeply worrying."

"The elephant in the room in the security sector is the worrying trend of emerging cases of femicide, which have brought to the fore the underlying and ongoing violations of the rights of mainly women," he said.

Mudavadi noted that Nairobi County recorded the highest number of SGBV cases during this period, while Samburu and Mandera Counties had the lowest incidents.

In response to the escalating femicide cases, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has ramped up efforts to address the crisis. Mudavadi confirmed that investigations into most of the murders are complete, with the cases now awaiting trial.

Additionally, the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has established a specialized Missing Persons Unit within the DCI Homicide Unit to tackle femicide and related cases.

To combat the crisis, President William Ruto has directed the formation of a Presidential Working Group on Femicide. Mudavadi stated that the team, set to be officially gazetted soon, will be tasked with developing actionable proposals to address femicide within 90 days.

The rise in femicide and SGBV cases has alarmed human rights groups and the public. Activists are calling on the government to declare femicide a national disaster, improve support systems for survivors, and expedite justice for victims.

President Ruto, while meeting with women leaders at State House, reiterated his administration's commitment to addressing gender-based violence. He announced the allocation of Sh100 million towards the Safe Home, Safe Space campaign.

"Matters of psychological support and safe spaces for women and children are a priority in my office. Through the women's rights advisor, we are launching the Safe Home, Safe Space campaign during the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, starting on November 25, 2024," the President said.

He also revealed the formation of a committee, to be led by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, tasked with creating lasting solutions to eradicate femicide in Kenya.

The government's initiatives come amid widespread calls for stronger preventive measures and swift justice to address the growing crisis.