Ruto directs security agencies to deal firmly with perpetrators of femicide

President William Ruto has directed security agencies to firmly deal with criminals behind femicide cases in the country, following revelations by police that at least 97 women have been killed in the last three months alone.

At the same time, he urged women and all Kenyans to be careful with their interactions with strangers and people that they feel insecure about.

"I know that recently, we have seen incidents of our girls, our mothers, our women, who have been murdered in cold blood. Let me say this, that the DCI and all the investigative authorities in the republic of Kenya must stand up to these criminals and we must deal decisively and firmly. I want to ask us as a society to be careful with strangers, to be careful with people who lure our girls, our women into situations that compromise their security. We must be on the lookout for all of us as a nation," he said.

On Wednesday, Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat said the 97 deaths point to rising cases of femicide in the country over the last two years.

"This has become a critical issue in Kenya, especially with a significant increase in murder and manslaughter cases over the past two years. In the last three months alone, the country has reported 97 cases of femicide. This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused action and collaboration to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in society," he said during a press briefing in Nairobi.

On his part, DCI boss Mohamed Amin allayed fears that women in the country were being targeted by criminals for murder, saying an analysis of reported killings instead pointed to criminal intent.

"There is no deliberate effort to target women. For the majority of the (femicide) cases we investigate, the motive is purely criminal. There was no deliberate effort to target members of the female gender. Let the gender not feel like they are being targeted by these criminals. It is just an outright criminal activity. There are no people hell-bent on killing our mothers, killing our daughters, and killing our sisters. So far, that is what we have been able to establish," said Amin.

The senior officers called for targeted strategies and collaborative efforts with various stakeholders to establish a safer environment for women and ensure comprehensive investigation and prosecution of all femicide cases.

"We urge every member of society, including governmental, civil, and religious leaders, to engage in this crucial dialogue. Only through collective action can we hope to eradicate the scourge of femicide and safeguard the lives of women and girls in our country," said DIG Lagat.

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