Across Kenya, survivors of sexual violence linked to political unrest and protests are still waiting for justice and support, as rights advocates push for reparations that put victims at the centre of national healing efforts.
Speaking during the marking of the International Day for the Elimination of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence on Friday, transitional justice expert Christine Alai said many Kenyans who endured sexual violence during elections and demonstrations have yet to receive recognition, compensation or proper care despite the severity of what they went through.
She said the day is meant to honour survivors while also drawing attention to the need for stronger systems to prevent and respond to sexual violence connected to conflict and political instability.
Alai described conflict-related sexual violence as a broad category covering abuses committed during armed conflict, widespread or organised attacks against civilians, or acts targeting communities based on identity.
“These are various forms of sexual violence, from rape to forced pregnancy to sexual slavery, amongst other forms of sexual violence that are committed either in connection with armed conflict, or as a widespread or systematic attack against civilians, or when it is intended to destroy whole or partial ethnic, racial, religious, or other forms of identity-based groups.”
She said Kenya continues to face the problem, especially during periods of political tension, where sexual violence has repeatedly been reported as a tool used against communities.
“In fact, we have experienced on numerous occasions sexual violence being used as a tactic to terrorise whole communities, particularly in the context of political contestation, such as what we have seen during election-related violence in our country, or even most recently, in the context of protests,” she stated.
Her remarks come against a backdrop of long-standing concerns over violence during elections and demonstrations. The 2007–08 post-election violence led to more than 1,333 deaths, around 663,000 displacements, and widespread cases of sexual assault and other abuses.
More recently, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documented five cases of sexual violence during the June 25, 2025 protests, including two rapes, two gang rapes, and one attempted gang rape.
Human rights organisations say such incidents continue to emerge whenever political unrest breaks out, with about 130 sexual violence cases reported weekly in Kenya, pointing to a persistent protection gap for women and girls.
Alai said many survivors continue to carry the burden of the violence without support or acknowledgement from authorities.
“We have thousands of victims who have suffered various forms of sexual violence, from rape, gang rape, forced genital mutilation, amongst other forms of sexual violence during electoral-related violence, during political violence across many parts of the country, and even in the context of protests and demonstrations,” she highlighted.
She added that most survivors have not received even basic state assistance such as recognition, rehabilitation or psychosocial services.
“For these thousands of victims, the state is yet to intervene to offer them any form of acknowledgement, recognition, restitution, rehabilitation, or psychosocial support.”
Her statement follows the submission of a reparations framework by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to President William Ruto, aimed at creating a compensation mechanism for victims of protests between 2017 and 2025.
Alai said the framework captures cases of sexual violence and proposes measures including compensation, rehabilitation, public apologies and accountability processes.
“This framework does provide an opportunity to the thousands of victims who have been waiting for relief,” she explained.
She however cautioned that safeguards must be built into the process to ensure survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are fully included and that the reparations programme delivers meaningful justice.