NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 17 – Kenyan women parliamentarians are urging the government to declare femicide a national disaster following increased worrying incidents of murder in apartments.
This plea comes in the wake of latest tragic incidents in which two women were lured separately and murdered in apartments in Nairobi.
The latest victim is 20-year-old Rita Waeni Muendo, a university student at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), whose dismembered body was found in a dustbin in Roysambu on Monday.
A man with a Mozambican passport believed to have chopped her up was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) two days later while attempting to flee the country.
And just last week, the body of popular socialite Starlet Wahu was found in an apartment room in South B before a man who had booked in with her was arrested and linked to serial killings. He was named as John Matara who is yet to face charges.
“We cannot normalize femicide! We, as Kenyans, must take deliberate action to end violence against women. We wish to call upon the President of Kenya to declare femicide and other forms of gender-based violence a national disaster and commit to addressing it,” declared Leah Sankaire, the Chairperson of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA).
Sankaire also pointed out the need for government agencies to respond promptly to the issue of femicide, as delays have only exacerbated the situation.
She called upon the Director of Criminal Investigations and the Inspector General of Police to expedite investigations into ongoing femicide cases and ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.
On Wednesday, the family of the woman found murdered in Roysambu said it had received a text message demanding a ransom of Sh500,000 a day before her body was found.
It immediately notified the police who commenced investigations.
A spokesperson for the family said the deceased left her aunt’s residence in Syokimau on Saturday saying she was going to meet a friend but did not go back.
It was until 5 am on Sunday, that her father received a message, from Waeni’s phone number, demanding a ransom of Sh500,000 within 24 hours for her release.
The 20-year-old girl’s body was found on Sunday stuffed in a polythene bag at an apartment off Thika Road.
The two murders have sent shock waves in the country, prompting action from the Ministry of Interior to issue new directives to Airbnb and lodging operators who are now required to retain the identification documents of their clients until they exit.
They are also required to record the current and accurate log of all vehicles, rickshaws, and motorcycles as well as install CCTVs and access control.
KEWOPA on its part has committed to more legislative and advocacy initiatives aimed at combatting gender-based violence and pledged to stand as a steadfast partner in the fight against perpetrators.
In a plea to the broader Kenyan society, its chairperson Sankaire called for an end to victim-blaming narratives, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the nation in addressing this grave issue.
