In a move reflecting the growing crisis of violence against women, the Kenyan government announced on Thursday that gender-based violence has become the most urgent security threat in the country. Over the past four months, 100 women have lost their lives, most of them at the hands of men they knew.

Amid this escalating crisis, Prime Minister’s Secretary Musalia Mudavadi noted that authorities are investigating several cases brought before the courts, confirming more than 7,100 cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been recorded since September 2023.

In response, the police have established a specialized unit to combat the killing of women based on their gender. Meanwhile, human rights organizations have organized protests calling for justice, while a UN report revealed that Africa recorded the highest rate of women being killed by their partners in 2023.