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Last year Kenya’s President William Ruto established a task force to investigate the escalating cases of gender-based violence including femicide. The task force travelled around the country gathering information and at the beginning of this year published its recommendations, which are now being debated in parliament. One of those recommendations is the legal recognition of femicide as a standalone crime.

UN Women, the United Nations agency which promotes the empowerment and rights of girls and women, have been working with grassroots organisations in Kenya on male engagement strategies, to change perceptions of the role of men and women. But the UN Women’s representative in Kenya, acknowledges that challenges remain.

In the meantime, women to continue to march in protest and the country waits to see if President Ruto will implement the task force recommendations.

So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is Kenya serious about ending femicide?’

Shyleen Momanyi, executive director, Young Women’s Leadership Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr Nancy Baraza, former deputy chief justice of the Republic of Kenya, senior law lecturer, University of Nairobi, chairperson of the technical working group on gender-based violence including femicide, Kenya.
Consuelo Corradi, professor of sociology, Lumsa University, Rome, Italy
Antonia Sodonon, UN Women country representative, Kenya

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Toby James
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: March in Nairobi against femicide in 2024. Credit: Daniel Irungu/Â鶹Éç Images