Kenya faces a deepening femicide crisis, Amnesty International says, warning that authorities have failed to act despite clear recommendations from the Gender Based Violence Taskforce.
The watchdog notes that women remain at greatest risk in their own homes, with intimate partners responsible for most killings, and slow judicial processes leaving cases unresolved for years.
“Justice delayed is lives lost,” Amnesty said in a statement on Friday, stressing the human cost of inaction.
A report by Odipo Dev, Africa Uncensored, and Africa Data Hub, "Counting The Cost: A Decade of Femicide in Kenya (2016-2025)," shows that stabbing and strangulation are the most common methods used against women, and that the problem touches entire families, not just the victims themselves.
The study highlights Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Garissa, and Kericho as counties where court delays are most severe, with cases taking an average of four years to conclude.
Amnesty called on the government to declare femicide a national emergency and take immediate steps to implement reforms.
It urged the National Assembly to amend laws to recognize femicide as a separate offence and ensure consistent prosecution, while also boosting public awareness campaigns and gender-focused planning across counties.
“If authorities fail to act now, women will continue to pay with their lives,” the organisation said, warning that coordinated government action is critical to ending the crisis.
The 30-day deadline set by President William Ruto for submitting a Cabinet memorandum on the GBV Taskforce recommendations expired on Wednesday, with no evidence of compliance. Amnesty emphasised that the memorandum must move beyond paper promises to real action to save lives and protect women across the country.
The taskforce had urged Kenya to treat Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including femicide, as a national crisis demanding urgent and coordinated action.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on January 27, 2026 President Ruto described the findings as “deeply troubling”, saying they reflect the lived realities of survivors.
“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,” he said.
The President praised the taskforce, chaired by former Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza, for consulting communities, survivors, experts, and institutions in all 47 counties.
He said the report exposes the “scale, complexity, and evolving nature” of GBV, which affects women, men, girls, and boys, with women and girls disproportionately impacted.
Ruto highlighted that the report’s findings on femicide, domestic violence, harmful cultural practices, and technology-facilitated abuse demand urgent national reflection and action
Key recommendations include strengthening the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of GBV cases through specialised law enforcement capacities, revising legislation to protect survivors, improving coordination and funding, and expanding awareness and behavioural-change initiatives.
“These recommendations call for institutional coordination, adequate resources, and a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response,” Ruto said, assuring Kenyans that the proposals would undergo careful review.
