Key Highlights of Karen Nyamu’s Femicide Bill
Nominated Senator has outlined her legislative efforts to address the alarming rise in femicide, emphasizing the urgent need to declare it a national disaster.
“We’ve repeatedly called for femicide to be declared a national disaster,” she said. “This would allow for dedicated funding and resources to refocus national efforts on combating the issue effectively.” She acknowledged, however, the challenge of meeting the necessary criteria to secure such a declaration.
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Expressing frustration over the continued incidents, she added, “Despite protests and awareness, femicide persists—tragically, even as recently as yesterday. How many lives must be lost before we act? One case of femicide is already one too many.”
She condemned victim-blaming, stating, “When we shift blame to the victim—asking what she wore or why she was there—we excuse the killer. This mindset must change.” To strengthen legal measures, the senator has proposed an amendment to deny bail for those accused of femicide.
“If you’re charged with femicide, bail should not be an option. It’s unacceptable that some perpetrators pay Sh100,000 bail, only to return to the streets and reoffend. My proposal is clear: no bail or surety while awaiting trial. I presented this last week, and I urge my fellow senators, especially male colleagues, to support it.”
She also commended the President’s allocation of Sh100 million toward establishing safe houses for women but stressed it’s not enough. “We need a dedicated police unit to tackle femicide decisively,” she added.
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In a statement, a coalition of activists echoed her concerns, urging state and non-state actors to stop normalizing femicide and instead view it as a violation of fundamental rights, including the right to life and dignity. They called on the President to declare femicide a national disaster and requested a judicial review of all related cases to ensure justice.
The urgency of the issue is underscored by a recent police report revealing that 97 women have been killed in just 90 days. Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lang’at emphasized that this trend demands immediate intervention to prevent it from spiraling further out of control.
“This troubling trend underscores the critical need for concerted efforts and collaborations to address gender-based violence in our society,” Lang’at stated.
