More than 100 women and girls have been killed in the last six months as the country grapples with gender based violence (GBV) that threatens the fabric of society.

Ministry of Interior released the latest figures as members of Technical Working Group on Gender Violence were sworn into office to identify trends, hotspots, and causes contributing to GBV and femicides.

The Nancy Baraza-led task force will further analyse adequacy of current legal and policy frameworks and make proposals on necessary amendments to laws in a bid to tame frequent violence against women.

At least 10 activists, including Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton, were arrested last year during an anti-femicide march.

The protest on December 12, marked the end of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), observed annually from November 25 to December 10.

The activists began their march from Jeevanjee Gardens and were attempting to present petitions to several government institutions, including the Supreme Court, police headquarters and the Office of the President, calling for urgent action to end the killings of women.

The pressure prompted President William Ruto to constitute the 42-member task force, which is expected to come up with recommendations that will assist in addressing the problem that is spreading among communities. 

“This calls for our collective efforts to continually improve the manner in which the affairs of our nation are governed,” said Dr Omollo as the task force settle for work amid the latest incident involving the killing of 19-year-old Fridah Munani who is believed to have been murdered by her jilted lover at their Nairobi’s Huruma house.

Technical Working Group is also expected to evaluate resource allocation, training levels, and operational effectiveness in managing prevention, response, support and investigations related to cases on GBV and Femicide;

Assessment of the role of social media coverage in GBV and Femicide, including its influence on public perception, awareness, and policy-making, will also form part of its mandate. 

The taskforce will identify psychological issues related to the rise in femicide and establish socioeconomic challenges contributing to the crime. 

Members of the task force will achieve this through community engagements, review and consideration of reports, judgments, or findings of past or ongoing cases related to GBV and Femicide. 

Similarly, the group is expected to look at the official reports, policies, legislation and invite written submissions and memorandums from the members of the public. 

The team whose office is domiciled under the Ministry of Interior, is required to provide actionable recommendations on prevention, investigation, prosecution, and survivor support mechanisms in GBV and femicide cases within 90 days. 

“As a society, we must work to strengthen our family links and promote the peaceful coexistence of partners in intimate relationships, as well as effective resolution of disputed values and other forms of relationships,” said Dr Omollo. 

Baraza said they plan to complement the existing efforts to end GBV and femicide, including visiting 13 established centres across the country.

“Under the auspices of the National Council on on the Administration of Justice, there is a conversation on the establishment of a one-stop-shop that brings together the gender justice courts, a health centre, psychosocial support, a police station and legal aid offices that are in safe houses to give support to survivors,” she said.