By Evelyne MusambiThe Related Press
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenyan authorities on Dec. 19 declared gender-based violence the nation’s most urgent safety risk, with 100 girls killed up to now 4 months alone, most of them by males who have been identified to them, together with intimate companions.
Prime Cupboard Secretary Musalia Mudavadi referred to the escalating disaster as “the elephant within the room,” and mentioned authorities have investigated a lot of the circumstances, that are pending in courtroom.
Since September 2023, a staggering 7,107 circumstances of sexual and gender-based violence have been reported in Kenya, mentioned Mudavadi, including that the police inspector normal has shaped a specialised unit to fight femicides — the killing of women or girls due to their gender.
As Kenya continues to grapple with a silent epidemic of gender-based violence, human rights teams have held demonstrations, calling for justice to the victims and their households.
A U.N. report launched in November to mark the beginning of a 16-day activism international marketing campaign revealed that Africa recorded the very best fee of partner-related femicide in 2023.
In November, President William Ruto directed police to analyze gender-based violence circumstances whereas portray a grim image of the murders.
“We all know that 4 out of 5 girls killed in Kenya are victims of intimate accomplice violence. This implies our girls are being killed in locations they need to really feel secure,” Ruto mentioned.
Kenya’s Cupboard this week accepted the establishing of a presidential working group to supply suggestions on the way to cease gender-based violence.
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Observe AP’s Africa protection at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
