NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 8 — Human rights activist Hussein Khalid has accused security authorities in Uasin Gishu County of negligence following a spike in femicide cases in the region, including the brutal murders of two women in December 2024.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Khalid expressed alarm over the deteriorating safety of women in the county, which is also home to President William Ruto.
He questioned how women could feel safe if such incidents were occurring in the President’s own backyard.
“If someone even came to you and shared that her life was in danger, yet two or three days later, she is lying dead at the morgue having been assaulted,” Khalid said remorsefully.
The activist revealed a disturbing trend in the killings, with all cases involving severe head injuries caused by blunt-force trauma.
He disclosed two recent incidents in Taya Mbili: the murder of a woman identified as Mama Jane on the night of December 1-2 and the killing of Rose Ziporah the following night, both by single blows to the head.
These cases are part of a larger pattern of violence against women in the region.
According to the Presidential Advisor on women’s rights Harriet Chigai, over the past three months, approximately 97 femicide cases have been reported, with victims ranging from a five-month-old baby to an 83-year-old woman
Khalid’s call for action comes weeks after the conclusion of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign advocating for safer homes and spaces for women.
During the campaign, President Ruto pledged Sh100 million to support efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide.
The President also emphasized the need to re-examine the upbringing of boys to cultivate morally upright men as part of the long-term strategy to reduce such violence.
Khalid now demands immediate action from local authorities to stem the tide of femicide cases, warning that continued inaction risks further eroding public trust in security institutions.
“In the home county of the Commander-In-Chief, such cases should not be the norm,” he stated, urging decisive measures to protect women and hold perpetrators accountable.
Source: capitalfm
