UN Women condemns rape and murder of 13-year-old girl in Homa Bay
By Faith Lagat, September 25, 2025UN Women Kenya has condemned the brutal rape, murder, and mutilation of 13-year-old Mary Treza, a Grade Seven pupil from Suba North Constituency in Homa Bay County.
In a statement released on September 25, 2025, the organisation described the crime as a stark reminder of the escalating crisis of femicide and violence against women and girls in Kenya.
It noted that no child should grow up in fear of such atrocities, highlighting a collective failure to uphold the right to life and freedom from torture guaranteed by Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and international human rights commitments.
“UN Women condemns in the strongest possible terms the rape, murder, and mutilation of Mary Treza, a 13-year-old Grade Seven pupil in Suba North Constituency, Homa Bay County.”
“This horrific crime is a stark reminder of the urgent crisis of femicide and violence against women and girls in Kenya. Children should not grow up in fear of being raped and killed. The killing of Mary Treza is a reminder of our collective failure as stakeholders in Kenya to protect the right to life and freedom from torture, as guaranteed by Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and by the international human rights commitments to which Kenya is a party.”
Call for investigation
UN Women urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other relevant authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation to ensure the perpetrator and any accomplices are held fully accountable.
The organisation said justice for the teen must send a clear message of zero tolerance and zero impunity for gender-based violence in the country. According to police data, 129 women were killed between January and March 2025 alone.
“We call on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and all relevant authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation to ensure that the perpetrator and any accomplices are held fully accountable. Justice for Mary Treza must send a clear and powerful message: Kenya has zero tolerance for, and will allow zero impunity for, the rape and murder of women and girls.”
Civil society reports indicate at least 500 women were murdered between 2016 and 2024, including 152 femicide cases in 2022, with underreporting likely inflating the true figures. The statement noted that perpetrators were often known to the victims and that the vast majority escaped justice.
Protection systems
UN Women reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Kenyan government, civil society, development partners and communities to end femicide and all forms of violence against women and girls.
It called for urgent investment in prevention, protection and accountability systems to address the crisis. Standing in solidarity with Mary Treza’s family, classmates and community, the organisation said her death should galvanise Kenya to build a safer, more equal society where every girl can live free from fear and violence.
“We stand in solidarity with Mary Treza’s family, her classmates, and the community. Her death must not be in vain; it must galvanise Kenya to build a safer, more equal society where every girl can live free from fear and violence.”
Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris echoed these sentiments in a post on X on September 25, 2025, calling the killing a national emergency.
She highlighted the staggering statistics of femicide and joined UN Women in demanding swift justice. Passaris has been involved in planning the Femicide March since its inception, working alongside civil society organisations to address the surge in gender-based violence.