FIDA calls for femicide to be recognised as its own crime
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, May 8, 2026The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA Kenya) has demanded the legal recognition of femicide as a separate form of crime, citing the increasing number of cases and inadequate accountability mechanisms in Kenya.
Taking it to their X handle on Friday, May 8, 2026, the organisation has said that femicide in Kenya is no longer a hidden or isolated phenomenon but a ‘pattern of violence’ that requires a step up in legal and institutional reform.
“Femicide is rising, but accountability is still lacking. We call for femicide to be recognised as its own crime, with clear guidelines for investigation & prosecution. Staying silent is not neutral; it means being complicit. We need real reform because women deserve protection,” FIDA noted.
FIDA Kenya believes that the continued use of general homicide provisions as a mechanism to prosecute femicide has helped in the failure to give femicide a gendered profile, reduced the effectiveness of prevention strategies, and delayed justice for the victims and their families.
Push for reforms
FIDA Kenya has condemned the existing laws, describing femicide as still being prosecuted under general murder/homicide laws. The organisation believes this method does not address the gender-based motivation behind these murders and prevents law enforcement from effectively tracking, investigating and preventing them. It also hinders a consistent collection of data and the speedy delivery of justice to victims’ families through judicial processes.
Now the organisation is pushing for femicide to be officially named and defined in the law and providing clear definitions for investigation, prosecution and national tracking. FIDA Kenya said such a shift would enhance coordination between police, prosecution and social protection offices and boost accountability and achieve uniformity in justice delivery.
In addition to the legal reform, the organisation is also advocating for robust institutional measures to address gender-based violence, such as better police performance, increased protection for vulnerable women and effective public awareness campaigns to prevent gender-based violence.
Femicide reports
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), it has noted in a report published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women that current and former intimate partners are the most likely perpetrators of femicide, accounting for an average of 55% of all intimate partner and family-related killings.
The Africa Data Hub reports 930 cases of female murders in Kenya from January 2016 to December 2024, with the majority of the perpetrators (77%) being intimate partners and family members and 59% of the victims being women aged 18 to 35.
The Hub reports 127 cases of femicide in the year 2024, while Kenya’s law enforcement agencies recorded 97 cases of femicide between September and November 2024. Unfortunately, cases of femicide are still being reported in 2025, with the most recent public outrage being the heinous murder of a 17-year-old refugee girl by her husband. All these reports are indicative of the unprecedented increase in femicide cases in the country.