Femicide cases in Kenya hit a record high in 2024 despite efforts to end Gender-Based Violence, with 170 women documented to have been killed by men.

Interestingly, the killers of the women are mostly young men.

According to the report,  66 per cent of the perpetrators presented in court from 2016 to 2024 were between 18 and 35 years old.

A new report, The Silencing Women Project, by Africa Uncensored and OdipoDev has revealed that the state of GBV continues to worsen amid increased public outcry.

Nairobi is the leading county in femicide cases while Kisii, Kitui, Meru and Nyeri are in the top 10.

The report also raises concern that justice has remained slow, with an average case duration of 4.01 years from court filing to verdict in 2024—up from the 3.6-years average between 2016 and 2023.

According to the report, 2024 marked the deadliest period for women, recording a staggering 170 cases of femicide, double the cases documented between the years of  2016 and 2023.

These female murder cases were double the annual average recorded from 2016 to 2023. Additionally, of the 930 female murder cases analysed since 2026, 628 met the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) definition of femicide.

“2024 was the deadliest year on record for Kenyan women, and unfortunately there’s no sign of things slowing down,” stated Patricia Andago, the lead researcher on The Silencing Women project.

The report also underscores persistent delays in the justice system, leaving families of victims exacerbated by slow justice processes.

In 2024, the average case duration for femicide cases to be processed, from filing to verdict, was 4.01 years. This was even longer compared to the previous average of 3.6 years between 2016 and 2023.

Despite the slow processes, there were increased convictions in 2024, a 118 per cent surge, the highest since 2018.

Of the 219 judgments, 185 femicide suspects were found guilty between 2016 and 2024 while 34 others were acquitted.

  “Convictions increased by 118 per cent  in 2024 from the previous year, the highest level since 2018. The average sentence was 20 years until 2023 but increased to 23 years in 2024,” the report says.

Additionally, the average prison sentence for those found guilty increased to 23 years in 2024, up from 20 years in 2023.

Key trends in femicide cases from the report also reveals that intimate partners are the leading perpetrators, accounting for 70 per cent.

 The report further indicates that murder methods have become more intimate and brutal with incidents of sexual assault and hacking rising by 7 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.

The use of easily accessible tools, including household items, highlights the intimate nature of these crimes.

 Young women between 18 and 35 years old remain the most vulnerable group, representing more than half of the cases recorded.

 “Women need to feel safe anywhere they are. Currently, they face the greatest danger at home,” said Felix Kiprono, Head of Media at Odipo Dev.

 “Femicide is still a persistent problem and, much more needs to be done, especially to ensure justice for the victims”, said Eric Mugendi, senior editor at Africa Uncensored.