Men are majority of homicide victims in Kenya despite media focus on women, state report reveals

As the nation grappled with shock and anger over a surge in brutal killings of women, a new state report reveals that men actually accounted for the majority of homicide victims last year, highlighting a deeply rooted crisis of violence.

The study, conducted by the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC), found that men were the primary victims in cases linked to cattle rustling, communal conflicts, drunken altercations, land disputes, and mob violence triggered by suspected theft. Women, by contrast, were predominantly killed in domestic violence incidents, land or property succession disputes, love triangles, and other crimes of passion.

"In some places, the perpetrators targeted people in employment and the business persons/community. In other places, elderly women, especially those living alone in rural areas and whose husbands were far away working in towns, were often victims of rape and killings. Women returning home from funeral vigils and disco matanga in places such as Busia were also targets," the report, titled “Study on Homicides in Kenya”, states.

Overwhelming majority of victims

Overall, males were both the overwhelming majority of victims and perpetrators of homicides, while women were largely victims, with few female perpetrators.

The NCRC was tasked with this research following a surge in homicides, including the killing of women and girls in 2024, which prompted widespread public and official concern.

The study sought to assess the nature and drivers of the increase, identify patterns among victims and perpetrators, pinpoint areas most affected, and make recommendations for prevention and response interventions.

The findings showed no single cause behind the killings; rather, multiple factors intersected at individual, family, and societal levels. Land conflicts were a central driver, often leading to disputes within families, among neighbours, or between business partners, and fuelling animosity between communities. Family succession disputes and disagreements over land transactions were frequently cited as triggers.

Land and resource conflicts

Border areas where ethnic communities have long-standing land and resource conflicts also emerged as hotspots. Disputes over grazing and farming sometimes escalated into deaths and revenge killings. In regions such as Narok-Kisii, Bomet-Kisii, and Isiolo, such conflicts accounted for some homicides.

A significant number of killings, particularly of women and girls, occurred in private settings such as homes, rental apartments, hotels, and urban Airbnb units. These were often committed by intimate partners, family members, acquaintances, or business contacts, and were linked to domestic disputes, business disagreements, and gender-based violence.

The study drew insights from the National Police Service (NPS) annual homicide statistics, 2024 data from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and 20 to 30 interviews and focus group discussions in each of 15 counties: Vihiga, Busia, Kakamega, Embu, Isiolo, Homa Bay, Kisii, Kisumu, Nakuru, Narok, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Nyeri, and Nairobi. Police records were also reviewed.

Recorded homicides

According to the DCI, in 2024, there were 1,011 recorded homicides, with men accounting for 70 per cent of victims and women 30 per cent. Among perpetrators, 630 were male and 88 female, while in 149 cases, the perpetrators were unknown.

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"In summary, the 2024 DCI data of reported/recorded incidents shows that males were the highest number of victims. This might sound surprising, given the many cases of killings of women reported in the Kenyan media. Police data is, however, quite reliable, and the higher percentage of male victimisation is consistent with the records over time and like those from other countries across the world. Male perpetrators were the overwhelming majority in all cases," the report notes.

The study also reviewed NPS statistics, which recorded 3,015 homicides, including murder, manslaughter, infanticide, procuring abortion, concealing birth, suicide, and deaths caused by dangerous driving. The NCRC notes that NPS figures differ from DCI data due to the inclusion of dangerous driving cases, which are handled by the traffic department.

"The determination of whether an incident qualifies as manslaughter rather than murder is conclusively made at the prosecution stage," NCRC explains. The Centre adds that the current system of data recording, reporting, and case management complicates efforts to determine actual trends.

No details of incidents

"For one, the summary annual statistics the NPS provides have no details of the incidents. Comprehensive data is the starting point for effective interventions to address the problem of homicides in Kenya. Currently, police and policy actors do not have an accurate picture of strategic interventions beyond specific incidents. There is also a challenge with the classification. It is not possible, for example, to establish whether an incident is manslaughter or not until it reaches the prosecution stage, and yet that category is included in the annual statistics," the report says.

Consequently, the study relied on DCI data, which provides detailed records including motives, circumstances, and context, allowing for analyses that the annual summary statistics cannot support.

The DCI data revealed that homicides were concentrated in poorer neighbourhoods, particularly informal settlements and slums. In Nairobi, 70 per cent of homicides occurred in Eastlands areas such as Starehe/Kamukunji, Kariobangi, Kayole, Mathare, Embakasi, Njiru, and Kasarani—a pattern mirrored in other urban centres.

Homicides were also prevalent in areas with widespread land disputes, inter-ethnic conflicts, private residences, poorly lit streets, dark alleys, and entertainment zones, often during robberies, gang clashes, or disputes in bars and nightclubs.

Most perpetrators were young males aged 20 to 40, with those in Nairobi and Mombasa predominantly in their 20s and 30s. The study confirmed that most homicides were committed by individuals with prior relationships to the victims, such as neighbours, intimate partners, family members, acquaintances, or business associates.

Unresolved family and societal conflicts

Drivers of homicides included unresolved family and societal conflicts, mental health issues, substance abuse, economic stress, limited youth opportunities, cultural norms, mob violence, gender-based violence, and systemic weaknesses across the criminal justice system.

"Across the country, there was a widespread public perception that security agencies are unable and ineffective in preventing the killings," the study notes.

Children were often killed by someone close, such as a step-parent or family member, or became incidental victims of parental disputes. Women were killed when rejecting forced marriages or ending relationships, with perpetrators sometimes citing a sense of “ownership” over women to justify violence.

Elderly women, victims of stigma, and commercial sex workers were particularly vulnerable. The lack of social support services for women at risk exacerbated their vulnerability.

The study also found that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations faces capacity and resource challenges, including inadequate investigations, insufficient skills and resources, failure to identify or arrest perpetrators, and corruption, which undermines public cooperation. Delays and backlogs in courts were linked to understaffing, incomplete police investigations, difficulties securing witnesses, and frequent judicial transfers.