'Churches too should speak against femicide,'- Nakuru's opinion leaders say
A woman hold a placard during the anti-femicide protest in Nakuru city on January 27, 2024.
34 percent of women in Kenya experienced physical violence compared to 27 percent of men in 2022.
This is according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey that was issued by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Mtaa Wangu got to speak to some of the opinion leaders in the county to get their opinion on the alarming cases of femicide in the country.
Gladys Kamuren, Chief Officer Gender, Social Services and Inclusivity says that whatever is happening in the country is very wrong.
"It is very sad and immoral and it shows the high level of insecurity that is there within the country," she said.
She continues to say that the issue of cyber security should be looked at keenly as evident from the cases that we currently have.
"Most of these cases emerge from social media where you find the innocent being preyed on by these criminals who go ahead to take advantage of these innocent victims " she said.
Shiko Kihika the Executive Director of Tribless Youth agrees with the Chief Officer.
"This issue really paints a bad picture of the society we live in. It is sad that there is no rapid response from the government. This has happened to 10 women already and everyone says that investigations are going on," she said.
"It is high time we started having serious conversations around gender based violence. Whenever we talk about gender based violence it has become a women vs men issue. We should look at it from a point where it is not leaning towards one gender," she said.
Kuria Western a human right activist says there is need for churches to be roped into the conversation.
"I would just ask the churches and parents to come in and create awareness among the youth. Teach them the importance of respecting each other and also how to live as a cohesive unit within the society. Understanding that one cannot do without the other," he said.