LSK raises alarm on rising GBV cases, calls for immediate action

The Law Society of Kenya has raised concerns over the rising cases of femicide and gender-based violence in Kenya.

This comes amid a surge in reported cases of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, femicide and other forms of gender-based violence that have claimed the lives of women and girls in tragic circumstances.

According to the society, several cases have been received in the last two months alone against women, and the alarming and sustained pattern has significantly intensified public concern.

“The law society of Kenya unequivocally condemns all acts of femicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence and all other forms of gender based violence,” read part of a statement from LSK.

LSK cited the recent murder of Alice Riang’a, a 20-year-old Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology student whose body was discovered in a thicket in Bondo, Siaya County.

Postmortem findings reportedly indicated that she was assaulted and killed by blunt force trauma.

The society noted that these occurrences have threatened the lives, dignity, safety and constitutional rights of women and girls across the country.

“Violence against women is not a private matter. It is a gross violation of fundamental human rights and a direct affront to the values enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya, including the rights to life, dignity, equality, freedom, and security of the person,” LSK noted.

The society therefore called for urgent action from the National Government, the National police Service (NPS), the Judiciary, educational institutions, religious leaders, community leaders and the general public, among others.

It particularly wants the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the National Femicide Task Force to address the root cause of violence against women and girls.

The society has vowed to closely monitor, through its Gender Committee, reported cases of femicide and gender-based violence across the country.

It added that it is in the process of appointing advocates to watch ongoing cases to ensure that justice is effectively pursued and upheld.