Former Baringo Senator Gideon Moi now wants the government to scale up measures to protect women in the country. In a statement on Friday, Moi said the state should also ensure justice is served to the victims and their families.
“In the last few days, we have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the atrocious killings of women across the country. As we condemn these killings, we also call on those in positions of authority to take action to protect and preserve the lives of our women while ensuring that justice is swiftly and commensurably served to the victims,” he said.
The Kanu party leader said the killings go against the right to life. He also called on the public to be sensitive to the families that are mourning the loss of their kin to such acts.
“Most of these gruesome murders have been perpetrated by intimate partners who ordinarily should be the protectors of the womenfolk. This pattern of killings is not only a clawback on the inalienable right to life but also a dismemberment of the sanctity of life of women.”
“While we extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families, we should also remain sensitive and empathetic to them as they mourn the loss of their loved ones,” Moi said.
His remarks come after the shocking murders of Starlet Wahu and a young woman now identified as Rita Waeni in Roysambu. The recent cases of alleged murders of women within Nairobi have drawn reactions from Kenyans on social media with civil societies calling for action.
“Join leaders and civil society groups who have called for measures to stop such acts.”
On Wednesday, opposition leader Raila Odinga also waded into the increased cases of femicide, saying that the abnormality of these murders cannot become the new norm.
“It is sad to see a troubling increase in the deaths of young women, leaving a trail of grief for families and friends,” he said.
Raila highlighted that the ugly scourge of the murder of women is now a national emergency.
By Lean Simatwa