LSK raises alarm over surge in femicide, calls for national emergency response

The Law Society of Kenya has raised concern over what it describes as a growing wave of femicide and gender-based violence cases in the country, pointing to a series of recent killings of women reported in different parts of the country and urging urgent state intervention.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the legal body called on government agencies, security officers, prosecutors, and the judiciary to treat the situation as a national emergency and strengthen the speed and coordination of investigations and prosecutions involving such cases.

LSK said it was “deeply concerned and gravely disturbed by the recent spate of reported cases of femicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and other forms of gender-based violence across the country,” warning that women and girls were losing their lives in “tragic and disturbing circumstances.”

Among the cases cited was the killing of 20-year-old university student Alice Riang’a, whose body was found on May 10, 2026 in a thicket in Bondo, four days after she was reported missing.

According to the LSK, postmortem findings reportedly indicated sexual assault and blunt force trauma.

The statement also referenced the deaths of Consolata Githinji in Kilimani, Nairobi; Davine Kwamboka, described as a suspected intimate partner violence case under active investigation; Anita in Nakuru; and Krystabel “Bella” Anyango, whose death was linked to a violent assault in a troubled relationship.

LSK noted that in several of the reported cases, postmortem examinations had indicated blunt force trauma and injuries consistent with struggle.

“These incidents, alongside other reported cases across the country, have intensified public concern regarding the increasing prevalence of intimate partner violence, suspected abductions, sexual assaults, and delayed or contested investigative responses in some instances,” the Society said.

The legal body warned that the pattern of killings was becoming a wider national crisis rather than isolated incidents, saying, “These are not random events. The pattern is an alarming and dangerous trend in terms of violence that has been endangering the lives and dignity, as well as constitutional rights, of women and girls in this country.”

It further condemned all forms of gender-based violence, stating, “The Law Society of Kenya unreservedly condemns all instances of femicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and all gender-based violence.”

LSK also warned that slow responses to cases and failure to act on early warning signs were worsening the situation.

“The normalization of violence, failure to address warning signs, delayed interventions, and persistent impunity continue to fuel this growing crisis,” LSK said.

The Society urged coordinated action across state institutions, calling on the National Government to treat femicide as an “urgent national crisis,” while asking the National Police Service to ensure “prompt, professional, transparent, and victim-sensitive investigations.”

It further urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Judiciary to fast-track such cases, while calling on Parliament to strengthen laws and institutions aimed at protecting survivors and improving accountability.

County governments were also urged to expand access to shelters and psychosocial support services, while communities, schools, and religious leaders were asked to challenge harmful social norms linked to violence against women and girls.

“The continued loss of women’s lives through violence cannot and must never be normalized,” the statement concluded, adding that LSK will continue monitoring cases and assign advocates to watch briefs to support the pursuit of justice.

According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the country has recorded a sharp rise in femicide and gender-based violence cases, with more than 160 femicide cases reported in 2024 and over 100 women killed in the first three months of 2025 alone.

The commission says this trend has pushed calls for the declaration of a national crisis.

KNCHR and related agencies further report that more than 7,100 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) were documented between September 2023 and early 2025, pointing to a sustained pattern of abuse.

Data from KNCHR also shows that women aged between 18 and 34 remain the most affected group, with Nairobi and Kisumu identified as key hotspots. The commission links the rise in cases to normalised violence, deep social inequalities, weak enforcement of laws, and a high number of cases tied to intimate partner violence.