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Police have sounded the alarm over what they say are increasing cases of killings of women and girls in the past two years.

Some 97 cases of femicide – the intentional killing of women and girls – had been reported in the past three months alone, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said yesterday

“This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused action and collaboration to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in society,” said Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Eliud Lagat.

Lagat said police “recognise the importance of swiftly resolving these cases to ensure justice for victims and their families”.

Notable concluded cases include the murder of Marybell Amankor Kapolong, which took place in Imenti North, Meru County, on September 16, 2018.

Benson Kimathi Marangu was found guilty of the killing and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

The other is the murder of Monica Nyawira Kimani in Kilimani on September 19, 2018. Jowie Irungu was convicted of the killing and sentenced to death.

In another case, on April 14, 2022, Sheliah Adhiambo Lumumba was murdered in Karatina, Nyeri County. Billinton Mwatire was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime.

Pending cases

About 90 per cent of femicide cases were investigated and resulted in the arrest of suspects, whose trials are pending, Lagat said.

Some of the arrests came with help from the public, he said.

“We are still appealing for information that will lead to the rearrest of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, the primary suspect in the Kware murders, who escaped from police custody,” he said.

Police are also looking for the main suspect in the murders of a mother, her daughter and niece in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

The suspect is said to be an Ethiopian national who illegally obtained Kenyan identification documents.

Hashim Dagane Muhumed, 24, once served as a police officer in Ethiopia and was arrested and jailed for killing his wife.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Muhumed was the driver of a Nissan Note that was captured on CCTV cameras picking up the victims from their Eastleigh home on October 21 hours before their bodies were discovered dumped at different locations.