President William Ruto has pledged decisive government action to address gender-based violence (GBV), including femicide, following the launch of the report by the Technical Working Group on Gender-Based Violence at State House, Nairobi.
Speaking on Monday during the launch, Ruto said the findings of the taskforce laid bare the scale, complexity and evolving nature of GBV in Kenya, noting that women and girls continue to bear a disproportionate burden of violence.
“This report is more than a technical document; it is a reflection of the voices, fears, and hopes of the Kenyan people, especially survivors of gender-based violence,” the President said, adding that the findings on femicide, domestic violence, harmful cultural practices and technology-facilitated abuse were “deeply troubling”.
The Head of State commended the Technical Working Group, chaired by Dr Nancy Baraza, for conducting nationwide consultations across all 47 counties and engaging survivors, experts, communities and institutions in developing the report.
Ruto said the report calls for GBV, including femicide, to be treated as a national crisis requiring urgent and coordinated action.
Among the key proposals highlighted were strengthened prevention, investigation and prosecution mechanisms, specialised capacity within law enforcement, legislative and policy reforms, improved survivor protection and accountability frameworks, as well as coordinated financing, data systems and survivor-centred services.
“These recommendations speak to the need for institutional coordination, adequate resourcing, and a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response,” he said.
The President assured the country that all recommendations would be carefully reviewed through appropriate government mechanisms, including the Cabinet and relevant ministries, departments and agencies, to determine policy, legislative and administrative actions.
Any proposed legal reforms, he said, would follow established constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
Reaffirming the government’s stance, Ruto said violence against any Kenyan is unacceptable and that violence rooted in gender, power or inequality is a betrayal of the Constitution and national values.
“Protecting life, dignity, and safety is not optional; it is a core duty of the State,” he said, while emphasising that ending gender-based violence requires collective responsibility beyond government alone.
He called on families, religious institutions, community leaders, security agencies and citizens to play their respective roles in preventing abuse, supporting survivors and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable.
“Let this report mark not an end, but a turning point; from silence to action, from impunity to accountability, and from fear to safety,” the President said, urging national resolve to ensure no Kenyan lives in fear because of their gender.
