Kenyan police deployed tear gas against peaceful demonstrators in Nairobi during a march commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The confrontation highlighted tensions between security forces and activists demanding action against rising gender-based violence.
Protesters criticized the police response, with demonstrators like Waithira Karanja pointing to the irony of law enforcement disrupting a protest against violence toward women. Official statistics reveal 97 reported femicide cases during the past three months, though activists maintain many incidents remain undocumented.
The demonstration coincided with the launch of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence. Despite President William Ruto’s recent condemnation of increasing femicide cases and call for collective action, social justice activists question the government’s concrete steps toward addressing the crisis, particularly regarding prosecution of perpetrators.
United Nations data paints a gloomy picture, with 85,000 women and girls intentionally killed worldwide in 2023. Sixty percent of these deaths involved intimate partners or close relatives. Africa records the highest regional toll, with 21,700 victims among 51,100 family-related killings, representing 2.9 victims per 100,000 people.
The protest’s disruption underscores broader concerns about law enforcement’s approach to public demonstrations and the government’s commitment to addressing gender-based violence in Kenya.