President Ruto addresses surge in femicide cases

President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi (l) and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja attending a church service on Sunday. [X, William Ruto]

President William Ruto says the government will allocate the necessary resources to law enforcement to address the rising cases of violence against women.

Speaking at a church service at the African Divine Church in Nairobi, Ruto emphasized the need for collective responsibility from both the government and the public.

“We face both a criminal and a moral issue that we must tackle together. As a government, I promise we will do everything possible to equip our police with the resources they need to address this issue,” said Ruto.

“At the same time, as parents and citizens, we must confront the moral dimension. We need to ask ourselves: What can I do to help prevent this menace? We are developing a comprehensive program to address this challenge holistically, tackling both the criminal and moral aspects.”

Civil society groups had called on the President to address the nation and reaffirm the government's commitment to protecting women's rights.

"The president should officially declare femicide a national crisis and disaster, assuring the public that his administration is actively working to protect women and girls across the country. We demand that he instruct the National Police Service to release a comprehensive report on the status of femicide investigations within 14 days," said the lobby groups.

Last week, the National Police Service (NPS) said at least 97 femicide cases were reported in the last three months.

“This troubling trend underscores the urgent need for coordinated action and collaboration to address the pervasive issue of gender-based violence," Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat said.