This year is shaping up to be Kenya’s darkest yet in the war against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. In just six months, the country has recorded over 200 femicide cases, a grim escalation from 2024, which had already set a tragic record.
Every week, almost certainly, headlines tell of women and girls senselessly killed, often by people they know. These are not just statistics; they are our daughters, sisters, and mothers lost in a society still reluctant to confront violence hidden behind culture and silence.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, 34 per cent of women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence, while 13 per cent have suffered sexual violence. Despite existing laws like the Sexual Offences Act and the Protection against Domestic Violence Act, GBV persists—pointing to deeper cultural roots that normalise the abuse of women.
Take the case of Mellen Mogaka in Kisii County. A grieving widow, she was beaten, stripped, and subjected to a painful traditional ritual by men – in full glare of the media, and in the presence of elders, clergy, and villagers, including women. Not a single voice rose in her defence. Could it be that those who stood by did not intervene because what was unfolding, in their eyes, was not abuse, but culture?
And then there’s the heartbreaking case of 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, a refugee girl murdered in Wajir for resisting a forced marriage. Her assailants, among them family members and the intended “husband”, beat her to death and burned her body. Not even her recordings pleading for help, could rescue her from what ‘culture’ sanctioned. Her story is a brutal reminder of how culture can be used to dehumanise women and girls.
African cultures hold deep, rich values of respect and responsibility. But not all traditions should be observed today. Just as we have challenged and made progress against female genital mutilation, we must now boldly reject practices that justify violence and encourage silence. For this to happen, men, the custodians of our cultures must take the front seat in this conversation.
The silence of male leaders in the face of atrocities, only emboldens perpetrators. Men’s voices must actively condemn violence against women.
Our elders must be incorporated in the conversation not just as participants but as stakeholders and drivers of change. The custodians of our culture and tradition must be fully on board before we attempt to dismantle cultural beliefs that inform violence and disrespect for women. We must confront the need for fidelity to cultural practices that destroy the very fabric of our society from the source. This can only happen when we intentionally involve councils of elders and religious leaders in our drives.
From Parliament to barazas to boardrooms and townhalls, male voices must speak up for women and girls. Our elders, religious leaders and opinion shapers must lead efforts to reshape harmful cultural beliefs by denouncing harmful practices and introducing new ones that will restore humanity.
No culture, however revered, can justify violence. The time has come for all of us, especially our men and elders, to affirm that every Kenyan woman or girl’s life is sacred.
Ms Mumma is a nominated senator representing women. [email protected]
By Catherine Muyeka Mumma