Femicide: Why telling women to be more vigilant is not helpful

Kenyan women and human rights organizations match along the streets of Nairobi to protest against the rising femicide cases in the country on Jan 27, 2024. [Collins oduor, Standard]

In as much as 2024 will be remembered in Kenya as the year of great political upheaval and youth protest, it will also be remembered as the year of femicide. Record numbers of women continue to turn up dead, with reports indicating they have been murdered by close relatives, partners, and even complete strangers. It is the latter category of murderers, however, that has captured the minds of Kenyans, particularly in the last couple of days.

Media outlets reported that a woman, who was found dead last week, had been murdered by a man whom she had known for less than 48 hours before agreeing to meet up with him. This news item, although quickly retracted, echoed similar cases at the start of the year where women would wind up murdered in AirBnBs, and national discourse danced around whether the women were taking adequate steps before agreeing to meet up with men in secluded places.